Journeys 10-1-06

Journeys 10-1-06

Today is World Communion Sunday. Churches all over the world are celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Communion today.

We here at Centenary celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion on the first Sunday of the month. So this congregation has it 12 times a year plus Christmas Eve. Other denominations (Catholic, Lutheran, Disciple) celebrate Holy Communion every Sunday. These churches take more seriously Jesus’ request that his disciples “do this when ever you gather in my name.”

The story I like to tell confirmation classes is that early Methodist Pastors were used to serving Communion every time worship happened. In the days of western American expansion, pastors preached in circuits of sometimes up to 30 churches. So those churches got communion once every 30 weeks. When the Preacher wasn’t there they had Sunday School and prayer meeting and singing.

When there became enough ordained ministers so that there could be one for every two or three towns, the pastors expected communion to be served every Sunday when the people were used to it every quarter, or twice a year. There was no firm “rule” on the matter, just as long as communion was offered on a “regular basis.” So the people won out. Once something is done twice in the church it is, after all, a tradition. By the time Cindy and I went to seminary (circa 1981-84) most U.M. churches celebrated Communion on a monthly basis.

In the United Methodist Church, our founder John Wesley was adamant that this sacrament be “open” to anyone who came forward. He believed that the ability of God’s grace to work in our lives is not limited by our understanding. God can work on, in and through us whether we understand it or not. So children under the age of “understanding,” mentally handicapped, un-churched, un-baptized, all can receive God’s mysterious saving grace through the sacrament of Communion even if they don’t fully understand how it works. The same goes for the rest of us.

Wesley believed in “Prevenient Grace,” the grace that happens before we respond; before we make a choice and decide for God. He believed God works on our souls to get us to the place of making a conscious decision about our belief in God, then God helps us do something about it with what Wesley called “Justifying and Sanctifying Grace.” The Cliffs Notes version of this is that God is with us, no matter what, no matter where, no matter when.

So as you come forward to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion today, my hope for you is that God’s grace brings you a sense of forgiveness, peace and power; that you feel once again connected to all disciples of Jesus Christ and feel empowered to serve as Jesus served where you live and work and play.

Grace & Peace,