Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Sacrament

It was the beginning of day four of a head cold that felt like a nonstop faucet leak through my eyes. I went through enough Kleenex to carpet a football field. Now it is standard practice in my Army organization to offer chapel service to any interested soldiers on Sunday. For some reason, our higher headquarters did not plan a service for this conference. So not only was my body weak, I was spiritually hungry for time with other saints to worship.

My Jewish Brigade Commander, David, walked up to me and handed me a small plastic container with what looked like grape juice inside. David has remarkable people skills. He approached a group of people in our hotel that were getting ready to have a worship service. I saw them passing out the containers to their members in the lobby and concluded they were going to celebrate communion. I didn’t think to ask them for one since I would be in meetings and could not join them. But David’s thinking was much clearer. He asked for one and gave it me and encouraged me to have my own communion.

After our meeting, I had some time alone in the lobby. I pulled off the top of the container and to my surprise, it held not just juice but also a thin white wafer. As I silently prayed and thanked the Lord for His unbelievable sacrifice for me on a cross, I was immediately encouraged by His presence. Communion chills far surpass cold chills!

Meditation
1 Corinthians 11:25,26—In the same way [He] also [took] the cup, after supper, and said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

Twice the phrase, “as often” graces the passage above. It reminds me that the sacrament of communion is not just about remembrance it is also proclamation. In that South Carolina Marriott hotel, brothers and sisters of an unknown church came to proclaim the unique message that makes our belief distinct for profound reasons. Our God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. Who else does that? What makes fellowship sweet is the sourness of the cost shared from the mouth of One who knew His blood would flow in the most horrible fashion yet announced it beforehand with the encouragement as often!

My friend David encouraged me to celebrate my Savior Jesus. How profound that the one who does not yet know The One, brought Him to me in sacrament. More often should I thank my Lord, with this visible sign of His invisible grace! He is worthy—we are witnesses.

Inspiration
“Sacrament” means the real presence of God coming through the common elements.—Oswald Chambers in The Place of Help