How does eating, the actual physical act of chewing, swallowing and digesting, impact the way we understand communion. Is it the bread of heaven?
Five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand people! But today I want to turn our attention away from the five loaves and two fishes and think for a while of the other miracle. It’s the same story, but a different focus.These people ate together. That might not seem like a very big miracle to you, but I assure you, in that time and that place, that was a miracle.There was an ancient near eastern proverb which went, “See me eat, know who I am.”
Jesus invites us to this table.
He comes to the table with humility;
he is a Saviour who washes our feet.
Jesus invites the people without power
and the people with power to sit side by side,
students in the school of love.
The table is wide and expansive,
encompassing the whole world;
we eat today with people from Indonesia, Ireland and Iraq,
from Kenya, Cuba and China.
We join with the cloud of witnesses who have come before us,
to share this holy meal
and learn of the great love God has for us.
We come to the Lord’s supper together
as children of our one God.
Jesus makes the guest list, not us.
Our family, chosen by God,
is gathered from west and east,
and includes everyone,
even the lowest and the least.
Jesus, when he was resurrected from the dead,
revealed himself to his disciples
in the breaking of bread around a table.
May we see the face of God today as we come to the Lord’s Supper.
Let’s pray together:
God of grace, we give you thanks for this bread,
and your son Jesus Christ who came to save us.
The love of Jesus shines through the years,
his death on the cross, his broken body
has become the bread of life which sustains us.
As we eat this bread,
remind us that we are part of his body,
living for him, giving for him. Amen.
My brothers and sisters……..The body of Christ, broken for you. [eat the bread]
Psalm 34:8 and
We come to church hungry, Lord!
We are hungry for comfort,
hungry for love,
hungry for a new way of living,
hungry for your word.
Thank you for giving us this place
and this time to worship,
and we are eager to taste your goodness
in community, with our friends and neighbours.
Bless us as we feast on the Bread of Life today.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
I invite you to this table
in the name of the One who said, “I am the bread of life.”
This is the table of our Lord Jesus Christ;
it is here that we remember
how he gave his body and his blood to save us.
On the night he was handed over,
our Lord Jesus Christ took bread
and after giving thanks to God
broke it and gave it to his disciples
He said, “Take, eat;
this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
John 6:35 and
God of every good gift:
we come to worship today seeking many things.
Some of us are seeking peace,
some are seeking healing,
some are seeking answers,
and others are looking for the right questions.
We trust you, that you will give us
what we need;
food for our deepest hunger. Amen.
Leader: We come to this table with thankful hearts.
People: Why do we give thanks at this table?
Leader: We give thanks because God has invited us here!
All God’s children are invited to the Lord’s supper.
We come humbly to the table,
knowing that we have not earned our way here,
but are invited, guests at this feast of love.
People: Why do we eat at this table?
Leader: We eat at this table to remember
that on the night before Jesus died, he ate with his friends.
I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.
I love to write and to lead worship! If you are finding my writing helpful, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to use or adapt the material here, it is all written by me. If printing material, please credit “Copyright Carol Penner www.leadinginworship.com” (and say whether you modified it). If publishing, please contact me for permission. Contact me at carol@leadinginworship.com
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