it's only a sacrament with unity

Good morning friends,
Today and tomorrow's readings give the most direct treatment of communion in the Bible as a tradition observed from the beginning of the church. It seems in the early church communion/Lord's Supper was more a communal meal then the small taste of bread and juice we're used to today, even though the message is the same. In Corinth it seems that some folks in the community were economically comfortable while others were struggling. That sounds like many faith communities now too. Paul argues that if they don't bridge the divisions by truly sharing their meal with one another instead of looking out for themselves, they are not really eating the Lord's Supper. The sacrament is only a sacrament if we overcome our divisions.

God's blessings as we grow together,
Sam

1 Corinthians 11:17-22

¹⁷Now in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁸For, to begin with, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and to some extent I believe it. ¹⁹Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine.

²⁰When you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s supper. ²¹For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk. ²²What! Do you not have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I commend you? In this matter I do not commend you!

Adventures at sea, part 3

Good evening friends,
We just wrapped up our conference here after an inspiring worship service. It's been a real blessing to be in Florida for this conference, so thank you for the opportunity. Our reading this evening finishes this episode in Paul's adventure. The ship is in danger, but Paul has started to comfort the crew and passengers. So we'll see how they get out of this situation.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 27:33-38

33 Just before daybreak, Paul urged all of them to take some food, saying, ‘Today is the fourteenth day that you have been in suspense and remaining without food, having eaten nothing. ³⁴Therefore I urge you to take some food, for it will help you survive; for none of you will lose a hair from your heads.’ ³⁵After he had said this, he took bread; and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat. ³⁶Then all of them were encouraged and took food for themselves. ³⁷(We were in all two hundred and seventy-six persons in the ship.) ³⁸After they had satisfied their hunger, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.

39 In the morning they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned to run the ship ashore, if they could. ⁴⁰So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea. At the same time they loosened the ropes that tied the steering-oars; then hoisting the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach. ⁴¹But striking a reef, they ran the ship aground; the bow stuck and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the force of the waves. ⁴²The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none might swim away and escape; ⁴³but the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, ⁴⁴and the rest to follow, some on planks and others on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.

the Lord's supper

Good evening friends,
This is the most detailed teaching we get in the Bible about communion. It's a bit challenging, but a great read.

Blessings,
Sam

1 Corinthians 11:23-34

²³For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 

²⁷Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves. ³⁰For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. ³¹But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. ³²But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. ³³So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. ³⁴If you are hungry, eat at home, so that when you come together, it will not be for your condemnation. About the other things I will give instructions when I come.

this is the new covenant

Good evening friends,
Since we just celebrated Easter it feels like a step backwards to read about Jesus' last supper with his disciples. But Sunday we're talking about communion, and Jesus' words to his disciples at their last meal is a good hint for what that means for us. When we come to the Lord's table we're talking about the kingdom of God, anticipating a time when all people can be together in peace.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 22:7-20

⁷Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. ⁸So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.” ⁹They asked him, “Where do you want us to make preparations for it?” ¹⁰“Listen,” he said to them, “when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters ¹¹and say to the owner of the house, ‘The teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ ¹²He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.” ¹³So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

¹⁴When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. ¹⁵He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; ¹⁶for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁷Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; ¹⁸for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” ¹⁹Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Passover and conflict

God morning sisters and brothers,
Thanks to Robyn Fitzgerald for getting tickets for us to watch a great baseball game last night. It was a fun night out on a perfect evening. Our Old Testament reading this morning gives us God's instructions for Moses and Israel about the Passover and how to remember it. Not only was the Passover blood a sign for the angel of death not to punish the Israelites along with the Egyptians, the meal in years after that was to remind Israel of God's power and love for them. Like the Passover, our monthly communion meal reminds us physically of God's amazing love for us in Jesus.

In our reading from Matthew Jesus gives very concrete instructions for handling problems within the community. I think of this passage whenever I am tempted to complain about someone to a friend of mine. I also think of it whenever I think about church conflict. It's often easier to a friend about what someone has done wrong to you, but that never solves the problem and often makes it worse. Jesus calls us to talk first to the person we're having trouble with. That's good advice in the church and in any other community we are a part of.

See you at Christ's table,
Sam

Exodus 12:1-14

1The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: 2This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. 3Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. 4If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it.



5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. 7They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. 10You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.



11This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the LORD. 12For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. 13The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.14This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.



*Sunday

Matthew 18:15-20

15“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. 16But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

cup of blessing

Good morning and Happy Mothers' Day!
Today we'll be confirming youth in worship and celebrating their ministry; what a great celebration for Mothers' Day!
Our first reading concludes Peter's sermon on Pentecost. He's told the story of Jesus, including his death and resurrection. That story makes the crowd feel, "cut to the heart." They feel the truth of the story and their own place in it, and they know they are called to respond. Think about a time you felt that way. What was your response? What are you being called to today?

The second reading is a lovely Psalm, especially on a communion Sunday like today. One thing I'd like to highlight in the Psalm is that the psalmist wonders how he can repay God for God's goodness. He decides the best way is to lift up the cup of blessings in thanksgiving. We can't repay God, but we can give thanks. A little later this morning we will lift up the cup of blessing and call on God's name. The second thing I want to lift up fits with Mothers' Day. The psalmist calls him/herself a servant of God and then says, s/he is a "Child of your serving girl." In other words, the psalmist's mother was devoted to God, which paved the way for the psalmist to come to God. How did your mother or another woman shape your faith? Let's give thanks for the women who guide us, both to God and to them.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 2: 37-41

37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” 40And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.



*Sunday

Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19

1 I love the LORD, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I pray, save my life!”

12 What shall I return to the LORD
for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD,
14 I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
16 O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!

The Lord's Supper

Good morning brothers and sisters,

In yesterday's passage Paul reprimanded the Corinthian Christians for messing up the Lord's Supper by some not having enough and others eating and drinking too much. Following up on that he reminds them what the purpose of the Lord's Supper is. This first paragraph is what we know as the "words of institution." We hear them each time we serve communion. It does the same thing for us it did for the Corinthians: reminds us why we have come to the table so we really can proclaim Christ's death through our meal.


The second paragraph reminds us what a great gift this communion with the Lord is. We are called to examine ourselves first and to focus on Christ in the sacrament. When we examine ourselves we can see where we are falling short of our calling, ask forgiveness, and take a step forward as God's people. Then, together, we find nourishment at the Lord's table.


God bless,

Sam


1 Corinthians 11:23-34

23For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.


27Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. 28Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves. 30For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. 32But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. 33So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34If you are hungry, eat at home, so that when you come together, it will not be for your condemnation. About the other things I will give instructions when I come.

Christ and idols

Good morning friends,
Today Paul discusses the danger of idols and our unity with Christ. He talks about how everyone who takes part in communion is joined together in one body with each other and with Jesus. Whatever differences we may have, we truly are one in the Lord, especially when we remember that we share the Lord's Supper. At the same time, a similar unity is part of other sacrifices too. That means Christians have no place in the temples and sacrifices of idols. We can only have one God. Christian faith isn't something added to whatever else we believe in; it is the center of who we are and it holds everything else together.
Blessings on your ministry today,
Sam

1 Corinthians 9:15-22

15I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.


18Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? 19What do I imply then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

not just spectators

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Our last reading from 1 Corinthians ended with Paul saying "I have become all things to all people so that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel so that I might share in its blessings." Today he continues that thought by comparing the life of faith with being a competitive athlete. Like athletes, Christians need constant self-control and training to be successful in our quest to be faithful to God.

After this analogy, Paul describes the people of Israel going through the wilderness. He says they were "Baptized into Moses," referring to passing through the Red Sea. He also mentions that they all were "under the cloud." There he is referring to the cloud of smoke and pillar of fire that was the shape God's presence took during their journey. He also says they all ate the same spiritual food: manna, and drank the same spiritual drink: water from the rock. His point in this is to remind people that simply being part of the community (which for us is also marked by baptism in water and spiritual food and drink, communion) is not enough. We have to strive for righteousness and faithfulness to fulfill our calling. It is a calling full of blessings.

God bless,
Sam

1 Corinthians 9:24- 10:5

24Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. 25Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. 26So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; 27but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.


10:1 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.

The Lord's Supper, part 1

Good morning all,
I'm on vacation starting today, so Lea Smith has agreed to send out the readings while I'm away. Thank you Lea. Drop her an email if you're not getting the readings or you can email me (I'll have email access some of the time). This is a fascinating passage because it's beautiful language about communion, but it is also a strong reprimand to the church. Paul is concerned about divisions and argues that when the church is divided communion isn't really the Lord's supper.

The divisions he's talking about here are economic and social divisions. It seems that people brought their dinner to the gatherings for the Lord's supper and that people weren't sharing what they had evenly. Paul says that eating and drinking too much while another doesn't have enough is humiliating to the poor and an insult to God's church. He follows that up with a basic review of what the Lord's supper means, which we still use at the table today.

Blessings,
Sam

1 Corinthians 11:17-26

17Now in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18For, to begin with, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and to some extent I believe it. 19Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine. 20When you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s supper. 21For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk. 22What! Do you not have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I commend you? In this matter I do not commend you!

23For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The Lord's Supper, part 1

Good morning all,
I'm on vacation starting today, so Lea Smith has agreed to send out the readings while I'm away. Thank you Lea. Drop her an email if you're not getting the readings or you can email me (I'll have email access some of the time). This is a fascinating passage because it's beautiful language about communion, but it is also a strong reprimand to the church. Paul is concerned about divisions and argues that when the church is divided communion isn't really the Lord's supper.

The divisions he's talking about here are economic and social divisions. It seems that people brought their dinner to the gatherings for the Lord's supper and that people weren't sharing what they had evenly. Paul says that eating and drinking too much while another doesn't have enough is humiliating to the poor and an insult to God's church. He follows that up with a basic review of what the Lord's supper means, which we still use at the table today.

Blessings,
Sam

1 Corinthians 11:17-26

17Now in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18For, to begin with, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and to some extent I believe it. 19Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine. 20When you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s supper. 21For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk. 22What! Do you not have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I commend you? In this matter I do not commend you!

23For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Sharing the bread and cup, fleeing from idols

Good morning friends,
Today Paul takes his discussion of idolatry in something of a surprising direction. Earlier he discussed eating food sacrificed to idols as something to be avoided because it might lead weaker members of the church astray. Here he seems to think that the church is in more danger than before and warns them strongly to "flee from the worship of idols." I wonder if he felt like, while his earlier advise was sound it might have left too much room for accommodation. Here wants to be very clear that idol worship is dangerous and horrible so there can be no confusion.

We were talking on Wednesday evening about how Paul's writing can feel "changeable" because he shifts gears so often. A big part of that variability is because Paul moves from practical to theological matters seamlessly. And the reason he does that is that his practical advise is always grounded in theology. Whenever he thinks about the how the church or individual Christian should behave it comes back to who God is and what a Christian's behavior says about God.

This passage is a good demonstration of this. Paul talks about how sharing the bread and cup of communion makes the church one body and makes us one with Christ. In the same way, he warns, sharing a meal related to idol worship can have the same unifying power and we can't be united to both Christ and idols. So even though it is OK to eat food that might have been sacrificed to idols, we can't have anything to do with idol worship, because Christians only worship one God. We have freedom, but we have to use it responsibly. Paul will talk at more length a bit later about how powerful the ritual of communion is and how closely tied to the church's unity. Here we see that the bread and cup make a diverse group of people one body in the Lord. Amen.

Blessings,
Sam

Friday 1/29 1 Corinthians 10:14-22

14Therefore, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols.15I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?

19What do I imply then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?