The Body of Christ

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

You are reasonable people.  Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true.  When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ?  And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ?  And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.  1 Corinthians 10:15-17

If you’ve ever said something you immediately regretted, even as the words rolled-out of your mouth, it proves you’re a member of the human race.  I had one of those moments this past Sunday.  It was during communion, celebrating the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, so our sins could be forgiven.  It’s arguably one of the most sacred acts in worship, but also a source of deep,  viscerally-felt joy – a veritable fountain of eternal happiness to be part of the forgiven, the body of Christ, the church.  I often find myself during this holy mystery (as Charles Wesley put it in his hymn[1]) lost in wonder, love, and praise. 

I ask our communion stewards to always leave the loaf whole.  When serving this holy meal I prefer to break-off a piece for each person who comes, signifying what Paul wrote about one body.  In the church we are all a part of Christ’s body. 

This Sunday everything went smoothly…until it came to the bread.  The loaf was as fresh as ever, but the crust decided it wanted to stay intact.  As the line formed to participate, I stepped forward, loaf in hand, ready to break off a piece of the body (to serve a piece of the body).  I struggled for a moment, but the crust wouldn’t yield.  It took two more yanks on the loaf before it tore loose.  I now had two loaves, one in each hand.  Looking up at the congregant standing in front of me, with her hands palms-up, waiting, I stammered:  It seems this body of Christ doesn’t come apart easily.  She smiled; I almost laughed out loud! 

Solemn and sacred moments are a necessary part of engaging worship.  However, at times the lighter moments can point out some deep truths (albeit in a somewhat absurd and uncomfortable way).  I immediately regretted saying what I did, but nearly as quickly it hit me that was a deeper truth that had tumbled out of my lips…the body of Christ IS tough…Jesus said it would be strong enough with the power of the Holy Spirit to storm the gates of Hell[2].  That kind of body does not come apart easily.

After some further reflection Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, I concluded that God was speaking more to my heart in that humorous, uncomfortable moment, than I’d realized.  If you add up all the stories you’ve heard of churches being torn-apart by a fuss over trivialities like color of the roof or carpet, or what table the cakes should on at a fellowship meal,[3] those tales are only an ugly tip on Satan’s lips.  The church has withstood Nero’s persecution, the Dark Ages with false doctrine, the greed of false prophets on TV and radio, physical assaults like Covid and countless other viruses of human frailty. 

And the church, the body of Christ, still stands!  And will stand!

For You Today 

Yes, Jesus did say HIS church would storm the gates of Hell, and those gates wouldn’t be able to stand.  He also said HIS words would never pass away…ever![4]

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper explore some of these:  Mem Tsade Hey  and  Bread in the Cup      

Title Image: via Pixabay.com    Images without citation are in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

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[1] Charles Wesley, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, United Methodist Hymnal, p.384

[2] Matthew 16:18

[3] Irony definitely intended!

[4] Isaiah 40:8

Taking Your Meds

 

Thursday, April 14, 2022

For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself.  On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it.  Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.”  In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood.  Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”  For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.  1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Medication time is somewhat tedious if you're the giver, and the patient has four legs. 

But our dog, Wellie, who is in a long term relationship with chicken (in any shape, size, original, or extra-crispy), gives me no problem with pills.  I could wrap a lethal tarantula the size of Cleveland in an ounce of chicken skin and he would swallow it like a vacuum inhales a feather.  Problem solved!

Overweight Shih-Tzus aside, few people enjoy taking their meds.  I could be biased…, but nonetheless, I’m one who utterly despises any medication, even though taking the stuff helps keep me breathing.  Of late, when my doctor asks me how I’m doing, I growl, FINE!  It seems to be effective in avoiding more trips to the pharmacy!

The apostle Paul’s words to the Corinthian believers sounds somewhat like a doctor prescribing:  Do this…it’s an announcement of the cross, a reminder of the resurrection, and strength for when Jesus comes back.  And, truth be told, this was a vitally-required spiritual medication for the Corinth church.  They were in dire need of healing for their selfish, hedonistic ways.  They had little appreciation for the worship moment of The Supper, which, in their case, had turned into a dinner-on-the-grounds pig-out.  

There are some who, for whatever reason, view The Supper that way…a routine to be followed…ho-hum, pass the bread and Welch’s, please.  It goes down like the regimented swallowing of a pill, absentmindedly giving little or no thought to the holiness of the moment.  Somehow the magnitude of what’s going on at the table is lost, and (sadly enough) so is its’ grace-filled benefit.  It leaves no lasting aroma like the gift of Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume, or savoring of the taste of what Isaac Watts called sorrow and love flow[ing] mingled down[1].

For You Today

Maundy Thursday of Holy Week, is a particularly poignant time for celebrating the coming cross, and eating the Holy Meal, remembering that passion of our Lord’s sacrifice.  Our eternal souls should not need the meal wrapped in chicken to go down gladly.  So, let’s go there allowing the Proverb writer the last word on taking our meds…

A cheerful heart is good medicine....  Proverbs 17:22a

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title image: Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

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[1][1] From Isaac Watts’ 1707 hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” (United Methodist Hymnal #298)

Wait FOR and ON Each Other

 

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.  That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.  For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.  That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.  But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way.  Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.  So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other.                          1 Corinthians 11:27-33

As a pastor, I’ve served communion to many people. 

One of the things I’ve hated about the last two years of COVID-19, is missing that holy moment of looking into the eyes of the people who come to the table.  It was always an honor and high privilege to break the bread and place it into the hands of those who loved Christ, and humbly held out a hand to receive.

I belong to a group of fellow-pastors that meets monthly for fellowship and accountability.  We share ministry ideas, discuss current events in church life, and try hard to offer each other “support space”.  We don’t solve problems or leap tall buildings in a single bound.  Of course, we DO eat!  Invariably we share the loaf and cup as the finale to our meeting.  

We serve each other, face to face, uttering those treasured words, the body of Christ, given for you; the cup of Christ shed for your healing.  And it is certainly a healing moment for spiritual strength.  I have never left such a time without a sense of renewed spiritual energy and joy. 

For that reason (among many others) I am certain the enemy, that old slew-footed serpent, Lucifer, has relished COVID-19 social distancing.  It has not only crippled the intimate nature of fellowship around the table, but in some cases derailed many local churches from meeting together for worship.

On a more positive note, I believe the church has found something exists that needed to surface…determination, perseverance – that intangible spiritual toughness that takes-on the challenges God’s enemy throws in our pathway.  It is that nearly undefinable quality of spiritual fortitude, a reserve called-forth in response to the Spirit’s bidding which says, we’re going to serve Him, no matter what!

The church of the roaring, troubled 20’s reminds me of Job, sitting in the ashes of grieving, covered with boils, ridiculed by most everyone who knew him, being questioned as to why God was punishing him, and why he would even consider continuing to breathe.  Job’s answer was a resounding stone-faced glare of steel:

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:                              Job 13:15

For You Today

There are two reminders for each of us in Paul’s letter to the Corinthian believers, as well as Job’s faithful response to his critics:

     1.    We need to wait FOR each other…don’t forget that the body moves together, or it comes apart.

     2.  We need to wait ON each other…the strength I need is something you exhibit and share with me…and, that which keeps you going does not entirely come from within you...thou and I share the same pulse when we consider:  one loaf, one body.  Life is in the blood, brother!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title & other images:  Russell Brownworth (own work)   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©    

The Passover Connection

 

Thursday of Holy Week, April 1, 2021

For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself.  On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it.  Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.”  In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood.  Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”  For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.  1 Corinthians 11:23-26

If you have ever attended a Passover seder meal you may have noticed the connection between the Old and New Testaments of Scripture.  

This meal, marking the Exodus of Israel from Egyptian bondage is a rich source of shadow of the ministry of Jesus, and God’s unfolding plan of redemption for all people. 

It would be impossible to write a small book to examine the similarities of Seder and Lord’s Supper, so let’s just admit to the brevity of what we will look at…something of a spiritual appetizer.[1]

There are 15 steps (or movements) to the Seder.  Each step is accompanied by food or elements that help tell the story of the captives who were set free by God.  Some of the elements and their meaning, salt water (signifying the tears shed in captivity), bitter herbs (the harshness of bondage and servitude), wine (the joy of release to freedom), and unleavened bread (made in haste).

The connection to the Lord’s (last) Supper include remembering His death as our release from bondage, the wine looking ahead to celebration of the Kingdom, and bread, representing He who is the Bread of Life.

Of the parts of seder I love most, and see the strongest connection to our Eucharist are:

·       Haggadah (translated Passover) literally means “tale”.  In the haggadah Jews tell the story of God’s salvation; our Gospel recounted in The Supper is the gateway to eternal life.

·       Barech and Hallel are the blessing after the meal and songs of praise.  The blessing is done with the opening of the door to invite Elijah into the home.  It is an acknowledgement of the coming of Messiah as their hope.  Our Lord’s Supper, or Eucharist, remembers his coming, and sacrifice with Hallelujahs, songs of praise for God’s mighty hand of salvation.

·       Nirtzah is the 15^th and last step in seder, a final blessing that includes the hope of next year, Jerusalem.  It is that looking forward to gathering at the place of God’s presence.  The connection, of course, for Christians is our blessed hope of eating the new meal with Jesus at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, in the New Jerusalem.

The meal is, for me, a hinge upon which swings the connection of Old Testament prophecy which looks to the coming of Christ and His Kingdom, and New Testament fulfillment, unfolding the glory of Jesus’ coming, ministry, and eternal life.  It is a sacred meal, our Passover connection!

For You Today

Here we are in the middle of Passover, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday.  How could we end, except with Nirtzah…next year, New Jerusalem!!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title Image:  Courtesy of Pixabay.com      Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

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[1] For deeper study see:  Pelaia, Ariela. "The Order and Meaning of the Passover Seder." Aug. 28, 2020