communion

Remembering Him

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”                                   1 Corinthians 11:26 -27 ESV

Though the bread given to us may be held by human hands; 2,000 years ago it was given to us first by Him. As we take the bread and cup in our hands, He wants us to remember the marks of the whip, the crown of thorns and the cross. In the same way that Mary worshiped by pouring out the spikenard to prepare Jesus for His burial, we worship Him as we take the bread and cup and remember His cross.

 

I often think of the spear that pierced His side. Jesus hung lifeless after having given His spirit to the Father. But even as His body hung limp and vulnerable, a soldier plunged his lance into the side of Jesus. It was cruel but it was his job to make sure that Jesus was dead and with no possibility of rescue. And then there flowed out water and blood down His side and onto the ground showing the price that He paid for our sins and yet we easily forget. In the middle of the activities and pressures of life we need to come and sit again at His table. We must tell again the story of the bread He broke and the cup He blessed till the day when we eat and drink at His table in Heaven.

Serving Communion at Nursing Home Part 2

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For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 1 Corinthians 11:23

To those who have returned for part two I want to say thank you. Finding people willing to volunteers bring communion to nursing home is always a challenge. So if you are involved in nursing home ministry or would like to be and to begin bringing in the Lord’s Supper here are a few ideas that can help you get started.

Be Joyful: Serving communion is not a duty it is a joy! At the end of the last supper, even though Jesus knew that He would soon be facing death on a cross; scripture tells us that He has them sing a hymn. There are few things more exciting than sharing about and serving the Lord’s supper. So serve with a smile. You will be amazed at the blessing you will carry in your heart all week!

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Collect your materials. Do not buy a communion set. They cost a fortune! Instead beg, borrow or create your own serving plates. In my current home we have only about 15 people and a small silver tray along with a ceramic cup work just fine. I buy the disposable plastic cups by mail order and the juice and matzos at the store.

Communicate to your people and set a regular schedule of when you will be serving. Residents really look forward to receiving and will make a special effort to attend if they know about it in advance. Right now I am choosing the first Monday of every month but over the holidays I am flexible and sometimes serve a special communion such as at Easter; Christmas or Thanksgiving.

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Cooperate: Ask for help as well as permission from the staff. Just as I discovered, they are usually more willing to get involved than we realize. We see our people a few times a month, but the staff is with them at least 40 hours a week! They know them far better than we do and nothing could possibly replace the gentleness and love they have for the residents.

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Serving Communion at Nursing Home Part 1

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.            1 Corinthians 11:26 NIV

“I think it’s been years since anyone served me communion.” Glenn said, as he took the cup of grape juice and matzo bread that I had brought into his room at the nursing home. I am constantly amazed at the joy that people like Glenn experience when they are given the Lord’s Supper. I am likewise surprised to notice the general lack of awareness of that need on the part of the Protestant clergy. Our Catholic friends however are very diligent to send lay workers for their version of communion. The act of receiving the bread and the cup were given to us directly from our Master’s hand along with a command to remember His death till He comes. So why is it any less vital to serve communion at a nursing home than it is at church?

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My personal acquaintance with nursing home ministry goes back thirty years and spans five different facilities where I have served. My first attempt at bringing in the communion ended in near disaster when the cork from the bottle of naturally carbonated grape juice popped off and whizzed across the room! Back then I had a team member from our church who helped me pass out the elements to the 6 or 8 people gathered in our small meeting. But over the years our attendance grew but my fellow volunteer had scheduling issues that left me to serve alone. At first I begged an occasional helper from church to come help; but sadly for a long time I simply gave up on the practice.

“I just wish I had someone to help me pass out communion.” I complained one day to Erin the activities director at Allied Services. “Why can’t we help you pass out the cups and the bread, Pastor Pete?”  Erin asked with surprise.

“Oh no it’s okay. I’ll find somebody.” I said. But what I really wanted was for people from my own church to serve communion. A couple of months passed after Erin’s first offer till I went back to her office. “Would your people really be willing to help me pass out the communion today?” I asked humbly.

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“No problem Pastor Pete!” she said smiling. Why was it such a big issue for me to ask for such a small favor? Maybe it was just a matter of pride, or just a general lack of awareness of the needs of our group.  By that time the meeting had grown to over twenty people. What a blessing it was to have workers who knew them by name and could know if they had physical issues which could prevent them from safely receiving the bread or the cup. From then, on at least once a month, any resident who wished to receive communion was given the opportunity.

So if you are involved in nursing home ministry and would like to begin bringing in the Lord’s Supper tomorrow we’ll look at a few practical steps that can help you get started.