Last Supper

Let’s Have Communion!

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

What I miss most during this social distancing era has been the inability to either serve or receive communion. So if we who are able to get out feel frustrated and wish we could be with our church again; imagine how those in Long Term Care must feel.

So after two week’s of prayer God spoke in my heart that the good news is that through the Holy Spirit we can all still celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Sharing in communion is more than just eating bread and drinking grape juice (or wine). Jesus Himself, is the bread of life and His blood which was sprinkled on the throne of grace in heaven, is still the New Covenant between God and man.  What we are unable to share because of distance God is still able to do through His Holy Spirit. I invite you to share this video with anyone you know who is in a long term care situation or to participate yourself. We may be separated by many miles; but by the blood of Calvary, we are one in Jesus Christ.

Our hymns for this week’s session include: Are You Washed? The Old Rugged Cross; In the Garden; Wondrous Cross and Nothing But the Blood.

 

Sharing Communion Apart

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

Sharing communion apart seems to be a contradiction in terms and yet it is very much a reality many of us are living out in this Corona virus world. I wrote this devotional for my people from the various nursing homes where I normally would be visiting every week. Though it is a personal message specifically for them, I thought it might also be an encouragement to you as well.

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, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”                                        1 Corinthians 11:23- 24 ESV

While we have been apart for more than two months one thing which I have missed the most is being able to share communion with you. You may be wondering if there is some way we can still remember this holy meal. The answer is a resounding yes! We can still be together in heart if not in person in the three important parts of our Lord’s last supper. First we Repent. Just as Jesus prayed with His disciples, we must also pray and not only give thanks as Jesus did, but also ask for forgiveness so that God can clean our hearts and prepare us for communion.

Second; we Receive the bread and the cup; but not only from the hands of a priest or a pastor. Instead we recall Jesus as the Living Bread. He is the one who is giving Himself to us. It is from His hands that we receive such a gift. He also passes us the cup which holds His life spilled out on the cross for ours. As we receive His life into us He washes our past away and gives us new life in Him. Last of all we do this and Remember. It is not that we are recalling something forgotten but instead it is an honoring of His death and a celebration of His life; until he comes again. Oh I am looking forward to the day when I can be with you again to have communion. But until then be sure to repent; receive and remember as often as you can because our hope is our looking forward not to a return to normal but to the return of Jesus to this world!

Dec-Jan 2011-12 159

Interrupted by Love Lenten Reading

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. Luke 22:24 ESV

A funny thing happened on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Cross. Jesus had just finished giving them the bread and the wine as the holiest of sacraments and while supper was ending the disciples began arguing with each other about who was most important. Can you imagine with me Jesus striking his forehead and crying “Oy Vey? These disciples are making me crazy!”?

KIMG0025

We may chuckle at the absurdity of that scene but just as the supper in its various forms has been remembered for 2,000 years; so has the conflict among us as to who is the best. One way to honor this Easter season might be to do something daring in the service of others. Why not pray for a door of service outside our comfort zone? Whatever service God leads us to we need to remember the example that Jesus gave us when He interrupted their argument in order to wash the feet of His disciples!

Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. John 13:5 ESV