52 :: Where Two Were Gathered

 

In the spirit of "...where two or three are gathered," this post describes a unique experience where Beth and I felt called to take communion together. As we are wont to do, Beth and I had one of our lengthy discussions (they generally last four to five hours) during which we explored the meaning of communion. 

We pondered this question - does the commission to take the communion elements tell us that we must do so only in a church? It's actually a bigger question than one may think! People have strong opinions on this. Here is a [link] to some of the online discussions on this subject.

We settled on this being something that people are called to do in whatever setting they find themselves, with the sole prerequisite being a commitment to the gravity of the sacrament, as well as a dedicated relationship to Yeshua.

As we approached the act of preparing the elements, I said, "I am glad we are doing this. I don't see that there is a Biblical mandate for only doing this in a church."

"That stuff is all just the patriarchy," Beth replied.

We laughed.

As we sat down with our quinoa toast and red wine, she read Mark 14:22-24 [link]:

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” He said to them.

We prayed afterward.

This is part of what we felt called to do as we prepare to join each other in life.

Neither of us have ever done this before, but we felt that this was right for us tonight.

We have been enjoying a new song in recent days, produced between Maverick City Music and Elevation Worship. It was released a few days ago. It shows the level of celebration that we feel when we have a chance to partake in communion. 

Watch the whole thing, it's deeply impactful and very uplifting.

The song asks many questions and it also makes some declarations. In the last four minutes, there are lyrics which contain two ideas that are very dear to Christians. 

"If He clothes the lily in beauty and splendor, how much more will He hold you?"

"If He watches over every sparrow, how much more will He love you?"

These are indeed the question that each person must wrestle with in life.

We took communion in the midst of Holy Week 2021. Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday, followed by Good Friday, then Resurrection Sunday, a.k.a. Easter. 

We look forward to breaking bread (eating the Body) and imbibing wine (drinking the Blood) in the future, both inside and outside of a church. 

All it takes is two or three...