This Is My Body
Sermon
Doors To God
SPECIAL OCCASION SERMONS
World-Wide Communion Sunday
While Americans were sleeping, Christians in Zaire left their homes for places of worship to see their pastors take bread in their hands and declare, 'This is my body.' In Saint Sophia’s Cathedral in Istanbul were heard the words, 'This is my body.' In Saint Paul’s in London a hush fell across the congregation as the pastor declared, 'This is my body.' In churches and cathedrals across the United States today pastors take bread into their hands and declare, 'This is my body.' In thatched-roof mission stations across the islands of the Pacific this afternoon will be uttered, 'This is my body.'
How did this custom of Christians eating bread and wine begin? How has the observance changed through the centuries? What is its meaning for today?
The roots of the Communion service go back to the Feast of the Passover of the Jewish people. In remembrance of God’s acts to free them from slavery in Egypt, the Jews held an annual feast at which bread was eaten and wine was drunk. It was at the Feast of the Passover that Jesus entertained his disciples at the Last Supper. On that occasion he said of the bread, 'This is my body,' and of the wine, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood.' (1 Corinthians 11:24-25) After his death and Resurrection his followers continued to meet and, after eating a regular meal together, to eat bread and drink wine. In this way they not only honored the memory of Jesus but they also felt that they were continuing the table fellowship which they had enjoyed with him when he had been physically present with them. At these observances they experienced a continuation of the love which had been his as it guided and strengthened them in their attempts to do the will of God.
At first an informal experience, this observance was changed as the years went by into a liturgy which could not be celebrated without ordained clergy present. It was taught not only that the Spirit of the Christ was present with the communicants to guide and strengthen them but that when the officiating celebrant lifted the bread and repeated the words, 'This is my body,' that the substance of the bread was changed into the actual body of the Christ.
The Reformers reacted against this doctrine and attempted to understand a more reasonable meaning for the Lord’s Supper. In the left wing of that Reformation, the Lord’s Supper was held to be merely a service in memory of Jesus. Any attempts to interpret the meaning of the presence of the Christ in these quarters was stoutly opposed. In certain churches in this tradition it was forbidden even to say the Lord’s Prayer during the Lord’s Supper.
Today in many different denominations attempts are being made to restore the Communion to the center of the worship of the church. At the same time attempts are being made to interpret the Lord’s Supper not merely as a memorial of the death of the Christ but also as an experience of the presence of his spirit. The Lord’s Supper, for those who would thus interpret it, becomes not only a means of looking to the past but also a means of looking to the present, as communicants experience the love and power of the one who guides and strengthens them in this day in their attempts to do his will. In this sense it can be said of the bread with Christians through the ages, 'This is my body.'
At the Lord’s Table may by met a living Christ who reveals God’s love and forgiveness, who shares with communicants his love and power, and who guides and strengthens them as they attempt to do the will of God. In this sense the Christ is present in the Communion service.
In order to experience this presence, the communicant needs to come to this table with a desire to open her or his life to the will of God with forgiveness for those who have wronged her or him and with an intention to lead a finer life.
After the death and Resurrection of Jesus, two of his disciples were going to a village called Emmaus. As they walked along, Jesus joined them; but they did not recognize him. When they arrived in Emmaus the two persuaded their unrecognized fellow traveler to stay the night with them.
The Gospel of Luke indicates that he became known to them in the breaking of bread. As Christians break bread together on this World-Wide Communion Sunday, may we all feel that the Christ is not far away but here with us closer than hands, feet or breath. If we do, he may be made known to us in the breaking of the bread.
Prayer
Our God, we praise You for Your many gifts to us. We praise You for the security which comes through trusting in Your love and power. We praise You for the rest which comes through trusting in Your greatness and goodness. We praise You for Your loving kindness.
We thank You for Your grace which has been made known to us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. We thank You for his death, his Resurrection, his presence with Your people, and the promise of his final victory. We thank You for Your love, revealed through the Cross, which brings us back when we stray from You.
As we come to this table, we repent of our sins and thank You for the forgiveness of our sins which You have promised us here.
Bless this bread and wine and us that receiving this bread and wine in faith they may become the communion of the body of the Christ and the communion of the blood of the Christ. Enable us to find the Christ at this table; and may he be with us always in both the sunshine and the storms of life. Enable us to experience some of the power of his Resurrection. Fill us with love for our fellow humans.
Increasingly may we come under the shadow of the Cross and feel the presence of the Christ and the assurance of his final victory. As Christians about the world meet at this table, may we all grow in our ability to be one, that the world may believe that You have sent the Christ.
As we set apart this bread and wine, we set apart our lives to be living sacrifices to You as members of the body of Christ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
While Americans were sleeping, Christians in Zaire left their homes for places of worship to see their pastors take bread in their hands and declare, 'This is my body.' In Saint Sophia’s Cathedral in Istanbul were heard the words, 'This is my body.' In Saint Paul’s in London a hush fell across the congregation as the pastor declared, 'This is my body.' In churches and cathedrals across the United States today pastors take bread into their hands and declare, 'This is my body.' In thatched-roof mission stations across the islands of the Pacific this afternoon will be uttered, 'This is my body.'
How did this custom of Christians eating bread and wine begin? How has the observance changed through the centuries? What is its meaning for today?
The roots of the Communion service go back to the Feast of the Passover of the Jewish people. In remembrance of God’s acts to free them from slavery in Egypt, the Jews held an annual feast at which bread was eaten and wine was drunk. It was at the Feast of the Passover that Jesus entertained his disciples at the Last Supper. On that occasion he said of the bread, 'This is my body,' and of the wine, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood.' (1 Corinthians 11:24-25) After his death and Resurrection his followers continued to meet and, after eating a regular meal together, to eat bread and drink wine. In this way they not only honored the memory of Jesus but they also felt that they were continuing the table fellowship which they had enjoyed with him when he had been physically present with them. At these observances they experienced a continuation of the love which had been his as it guided and strengthened them in their attempts to do the will of God.
At first an informal experience, this observance was changed as the years went by into a liturgy which could not be celebrated without ordained clergy present. It was taught not only that the Spirit of the Christ was present with the communicants to guide and strengthen them but that when the officiating celebrant lifted the bread and repeated the words, 'This is my body,' that the substance of the bread was changed into the actual body of the Christ.
The Reformers reacted against this doctrine and attempted to understand a more reasonable meaning for the Lord’s Supper. In the left wing of that Reformation, the Lord’s Supper was held to be merely a service in memory of Jesus. Any attempts to interpret the meaning of the presence of the Christ in these quarters was stoutly opposed. In certain churches in this tradition it was forbidden even to say the Lord’s Prayer during the Lord’s Supper.
Today in many different denominations attempts are being made to restore the Communion to the center of the worship of the church. At the same time attempts are being made to interpret the Lord’s Supper not merely as a memorial of the death of the Christ but also as an experience of the presence of his spirit. The Lord’s Supper, for those who would thus interpret it, becomes not only a means of looking to the past but also a means of looking to the present, as communicants experience the love and power of the one who guides and strengthens them in this day in their attempts to do his will. In this sense it can be said of the bread with Christians through the ages, 'This is my body.'
At the Lord’s Table may by met a living Christ who reveals God’s love and forgiveness, who shares with communicants his love and power, and who guides and strengthens them as they attempt to do the will of God. In this sense the Christ is present in the Communion service.
In order to experience this presence, the communicant needs to come to this table with a desire to open her or his life to the will of God with forgiveness for those who have wronged her or him and with an intention to lead a finer life.
After the death and Resurrection of Jesus, two of his disciples were going to a village called Emmaus. As they walked along, Jesus joined them; but they did not recognize him. When they arrived in Emmaus the two persuaded their unrecognized fellow traveler to stay the night with them.
The Gospel of Luke indicates that he became known to them in the breaking of bread. As Christians break bread together on this World-Wide Communion Sunday, may we all feel that the Christ is not far away but here with us closer than hands, feet or breath. If we do, he may be made known to us in the breaking of the bread.
Prayer
Our God, we praise You for Your many gifts to us. We praise You for the security which comes through trusting in Your love and power. We praise You for the rest which comes through trusting in Your greatness and goodness. We praise You for Your loving kindness.
We thank You for Your grace which has been made known to us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. We thank You for his death, his Resurrection, his presence with Your people, and the promise of his final victory. We thank You for Your love, revealed through the Cross, which brings us back when we stray from You.
As we come to this table, we repent of our sins and thank You for the forgiveness of our sins which You have promised us here.
Bless this bread and wine and us that receiving this bread and wine in faith they may become the communion of the body of the Christ and the communion of the blood of the Christ. Enable us to find the Christ at this table; and may he be with us always in both the sunshine and the storms of life. Enable us to experience some of the power of his Resurrection. Fill us with love for our fellow humans.
Increasingly may we come under the shadow of the Cross and feel the presence of the Christ and the assurance of his final victory. As Christians about the world meet at this table, may we all grow in our ability to be one, that the world may believe that You have sent the Christ.
As we set apart this bread and wine, we set apart our lives to be living sacrifices to You as members of the body of Christ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
