On Sunday at church we had a presentation from one of the students on campus who is doing Word By Heart, a second-level school at the University of the Nations, did a presentation from Luke, the Last Supper all the way to the Ascension.
When she got to the Last Supper we took a break to have communion. With the words ringing fresh in our hearts Pastor Derek encouraged us to remember Christ, not to just make it a ritual we do every first Sunday but to remember what it meant for Jesus.
That got me thinking, do I just mindlessly take the sacraments without actually thinking about what it means? What it meant for Jesus, what it means for me, what it means for others. Do I remember?
He told us to pair up to and talk about what we remember, what it means. I had the Christmas carol that says, "pleased as Man with men to dwell; Jesus, our Emmanuel" running through my head. Growing up that was always my favourite Christmas carol but I'm not sure I ever really thought about what it meant 'til this winter.
Jesus was happy to become a man because it meant He got to dwell with us. It pleased Him! It wasn't a burden! His name is Emmanuel, God With Us! It's who He is. He is a relational God who draws near and desires us to draw near to him too! He was not content to be lofty and unattainable. He "did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!" Jesus gave it all up freely so we could be with Him forever!
Now when I take communion, I will remember the JOY that it was for Jesus to sacrifice Himself for me. How pleased He was. I am the joy set before Him while He endured the cross.
So I encourage you, next time you take communion, actually take time, pause, and remember what it means. You don't have to remember the same thing I did, but meditate on the sacrifice of Christ! It will make you want to take communion more than once a month, I can assure you that.
When she got to the Last Supper we took a break to have communion. With the words ringing fresh in our hearts Pastor Derek encouraged us to remember Christ, not to just make it a ritual we do every first Sunday but to remember what it meant for Jesus.
That got me thinking, do I just mindlessly take the sacraments without actually thinking about what it means? What it meant for Jesus, what it means for me, what it means for others. Do I remember?
He told us to pair up to and talk about what we remember, what it means. I had the Christmas carol that says, "pleased as Man with men to dwell; Jesus, our Emmanuel" running through my head. Growing up that was always my favourite Christmas carol but I'm not sure I ever really thought about what it meant 'til this winter.
Jesus was happy to become a man because it meant He got to dwell with us. It pleased Him! It wasn't a burden! His name is Emmanuel, God With Us! It's who He is. He is a relational God who draws near and desires us to draw near to him too! He was not content to be lofty and unattainable. He "did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!" Jesus gave it all up freely so we could be with Him forever!
Now when I take communion, I will remember the JOY that it was for Jesus to sacrifice Himself for me. How pleased He was. I am the joy set before Him while He endured the cross.
So I encourage you, next time you take communion, actually take time, pause, and remember what it means. You don't have to remember the same thing I did, but meditate on the sacrifice of Christ! It will make you want to take communion more than once a month, I can assure you that.
