THIS IS AN OCCASION DURING WHICH WE SHOULD FEEL THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN A SPECIAL WAY AND IT IS AN OCCASION WHEN WE SHOULD FIND GREAT MEANING IN AND FOR OUR PERSONAL LIVES.

(UNCOVER THE ELEMENTS)

COMMUNION IS THE PRIVILEGE OF EVERY CHRISTIAN. INDEED, OF ALL OF THE MIRACLES THAT JESUS PERFORMED AND OF ALL OF THE INSPIRED TEACHINGS THAT HE GAVE US, THE MOST IMPORTANT ACTION THAT HE WANTS US TO REMEMBER IS THAT HE DIED FOR US AND FOR OUR SALVATION.

IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMAND, CHRISTIANS REGULARLY MEET AROUND THIS TABLE TO BE REMINDED OF THE PRICE THAT WAS PAID ON OUR BEHALF.

LET’S TAKE A MOMENT TO PREPARE OURSELVES BY READING PAUL'S ACCOUNT FOUND IN 1ST CORINTHIANS, CHAPTER 11:23-32. "FOR I RECEIVED FROM THE LORD WHAT I ALSO PASSED ON TO YOU: THE LORD JESUS, ON THE NIGHT 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." IN THE SAME WAY, AFTER SUPPER HE TOOK THE CUP, SAYING, "THIS CUP IS THE NEW COVENANT IN MY BLOOD; DO THIS, WHENEVER YOU DRINK IT, IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME." FOR WHENEVER YOU EAT THIS BREAD AND DRINK THIS CUP, YOU PROCLAIM THE LORD'S DEATH UNTIL HE COMES. THEREFORE, WHOEVER EATS THE BREAD OR DRINKS THE CUP OF THE LORD IN AN UNWORTHY MANNER WILL BE GUILTY OF SINNING AGAINST THE BODY AND BLOOD OF THE LORD. WE OUGHT TO EXAMINE OURSELVES BEFORE WE EAT OF THE BREAD AND DRINK OF THE CUP. FOR ANYONE WHO EATS AND DRINKS WITHOUT RECOGNIZING THE BODY OF THE LORD EATS AND DRINKS JUDGMENT ON THEMSELVES". BUT IF WE JUDGE OURSELVES, WE WOULD NOT COME UNDER JUDGMENT. WHEN WE ARE JUDGED BY THE LORD, WE ARE BEING DISCIPLINED SO THAT WE WILL NOT BE CONDEMNED WITH THE WORLD.

AND MAY GOD ADD BLESSING TO THE READING OF HIS WORD

HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED AROUND THE CHURCH DURING COMMUNION? IF YOU DO, YOU WILL SEE MANY SOMBER FACES. COMMUNION, ON THE SURFACE, SEEMS TO BE A TIME OF SADNESS INSTEAD OF A TIME OF JOY.

AS WE BEGIN OUR COMMUNION SERVICES, I READ THE REASSURING AND JOYOUS WORDS OF JESUS WHO CALLS US TO COME TO HIM. HE TELLS US THAT HE IS THE BREAD OF LIFE (NOT DEATH) AND HE REASSURES US THAT WE WILL NEVER THIRST AGAIN. HE ALSO SAYS HE WILL NEVER REJECT US IF WE COME TO HIM BELIEVING IN HIM. THOSE AREN'T SAD WORDS. THEY'RE VERY JOYOUS WORDS, SO WHY ARE WE SO SERIOUS DURING A COMMUNION SERVICE?

I FEEL IT'S BECAUSE WE ARE REMEMBERING HIS SUFFERING AND DEATH AS HE CARRIED THE WEIGHT OF ALL OF OUR TRANSGRESSIONS AND SINS ON HIS SHOULDERS AND HE WAS, FOR THE FIRST TIME, IN ETERNITY SEPARATED FROM GOD THE FATHER.

THOSE ARE SAD THOUGHTS AND THEY DO MAKE US THOUGHTFUL DURING THIS TIME, BUT WE MUST NEVER FORGET THAT THE CROSS NO LONGER HOLDS THE FORM OF A DYING CHRIST. IT IS EMPTY AND WE USE IT AS OUR SYMBOL SO THAT WE CAN REMEMBER THE STORY THAT HAS SUCH A HAPPY ENDING.

#186 IN OUR HYMN BOOK IS THE MUCH LOVED SONG; "THE OLD RUGGED CROSS." THIS HYMN IS ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE AND MOST REQUESTED SONGS OF THE PAST 93 YEARS. BY THE WAY, IT'S BEEN TAKEN OUT OF THE NEW PRESBYTERIAN HYMNAL.

IT WAS WRITTEN, AND SET TO MUSIC, IN 1913 BY GEORGE BENNARD. HE WAS BORN IN YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO AND LATER MOVED TO IOWA. HIS FIRST JOB WAS WITH THE SALVATION ARMY WHERE HE BECAME AN OFFICER OF THE ORGANIZATION. LATER HE ANSWERED THE CALL TO BECOME A METHODIST EPISCOPAL MINISTER. HE MOVED TO MICHIGAN WHERE HE WAS A WELL KNOWN PASTOR AND TRAVELING REVIVAL SPEAKER. AS HE STUDIED THE SCRIPTURES, HE REALIZED THAT THE CROSS WAS MORE THAN JUST A RELIGIOUS SYMBOL. IT WAS THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. SO HE SET OUT TO WRITE A SONG ABOUT THE CROSS. IT QUICKLY SPREAD FROM MICHIGAN TO THE WHOLE COUNTRY.

I'D LIKE TO READ THE WORDS TO THIS GREAT HYMN SO THAT WE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND THE MIXED EMOTIONS WE HAVE AS WE GATHER AROUND THE LORD’S TABLE AND REMEMBER THE PRICE THAT WAS PAID FOR OUR SALVATION.

ON A HILL FAR AWAY STOOD AN OLD RUGGED CROSS, THE EMBLEM OF SUFFERING AND SHAME; AND I LOVE THAT OLD CROSS WHERE THE DEAREST AND BEST FOR A WORLD OF LOST SINNERS WAS SLAIN.

O THAT OLD RUGGED CROSS, SO DESPISED BY THE WORLD, HAS A WONDROUS ATTRACTION FOR ME; FOR THE DEAR LAMB OF GOD LEFT HIS GLORY ABOVE TO BEAR IT TO DARK CALVARY.

IN THE OLD RUGGED CROSS, STAINED WITH BLOOD SO DIVINE, A WONDROUS BEAUTY I SEE; FOR 'TWAS ON THAT OLD CROSS JESUS SUFFERED AND DIED TO PARDON AND SANCTIFY ME.

TO THE OLD RUGGED CROSS I WILL EVER BE TRUE, ITS SHANE AND REPROACH GLADLY BEAR; THEN HE’LL CALL ME SOME DAY TO MY HOME FAR AWAY, WHERE HIS GLORY FOR EVER I'LL SHARE.

SO I'LL CHERISH THE OLD RUGGED CROSS, TILL MY TROPHIES AT LAST I LAY DOWN; I WILL CLING TO THE OLD RUGGED CROSS, AND EXCHANGE IT SOME DAY FOR A CROWN.

YES, THE OLD RUGGED CROSS IS THE AT THE CENTER OF OUR FAITH AND AT THIS TIME WE REMEMBER GOD’S LOVE FOR US AS WE BOW IN PRAYER.

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, OUR HEARTS ARE FILLED WITH GRATITUDE AND JOY AT THE WONDER OF YOUR SALVATION THAT WAS PAID FOR ON THAT OLD RUGGED CROSS. LORD, THERE ARE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE HOW WE FEEL, KNOWING YOUR GREAT LOVE FOR US.

HELP US TO NEVER TAKE OUR FREE GIFT OF SALVATION FOR GRANTED. MAY WE GRASP THE MAGNITUDE OF WHAT YOU DID FOR US AND MAY THAT UNDERSTANDING MAKE US LOVE YOU AND PLACE YOU FIRST IN OUR LIVES.

AS WE NOW RECEIVE THESE ELEMENTS, MAY WE KNOW YOUR PRESENCE AND BLESSING IN A NEW WAY.

WORK IN MY LIFE, I PRAY, AND MAY I BE THE PERSON THAT YOU CALL ME TO BE. OPEN MY EYES THAT I MAY SEE JESUS AND ALSO THAT I REMEMBER THE PRAYER YOU TAUGHT YOUR DISCIPLES SAYING, 'OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN; HALLOWED BE THY NAME. THY KINGDOM COME. THY WILL BE DONE; ON EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS; AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION; BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL; FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY, FOREVER. AMEN

AND NOW, IN CHRIST'S NAME, I TAKE THESE ELEMENTS TO BE SET APART BY PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING TO THE HOLY USE FOR WHICH HE HAS APPOINTED THEM.

THE LORD JESUS, ON THE NIGHT OF HIS ARREST, TOOK BREAD, AND AFTER GIVING THANKS TO GOD, HE BROKE IT, AND GAVE IT TO HIS DISCIPLES, SAYING: "TAKE, EAT. THIS IS MY BODY, GIVEN FOR YOU. DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME."

GIVE THE TRAYS OF BREAD TO THE ELDERS AND WHILE THEY ARE DISTRIBUTING THE BREAD, READ SCRIPTURE.

THIS IS THE BODY OF CHRIST, THE BREAD OF HEAVEN, EAT ALL OF IT.

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LET'S FINISH OUR THOUGHTS BY REMINDING OURSELVES THAT ANOTHER KEY THOUGHT IN OUR MINDS DURING COMMUNION COMES FROM THE SCRIPTURE I READ FROM 1ST CORINTHIANS. VERSE 26 SAYS THAT WE ARE TO CONDUCT THE LORD'S SUPPER "UNTIL HE COMES."

THOSE THREE WORDS CHEER OUR THOUGHTS OR AT LEAST THEY SHOULD. YES, COMMUNION IS A TIME OF SOLEMN JOY, BUT THESE THREE WORDS REMIND US THAT JESUS IS ALIVE TODAY AND DEATH NO LONGER HAS ANY REAL MEANING OVER THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIM.

"UNTIL HE COMES" ARE POWERFUL WORDS. THEY PROCLAIM THAT JESUS IS COMING BACK TO EARTH TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE MESS THIS WORLD IS IN AND TO BRING JUSTICE TO THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE.

THEY ALSO PROCLAIM THAT THE CHRISTIAN IS NOT FORGOTTEN. GOD HAS AN UNKNOWN TIME TABLE, BUT IT IS CERTAIN FROM THE WORDS OF JESUS HIMSELF THAT HE IS COMING BACK TO TAKE ALL OF HIS DISCIPLES TO LIVE WITH HIM FOR ETERNITY.

JOHN RECORDS JESUS' WORDS (14:3) "I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU, I WILL COME BACK AND TAKE YOU TO BE WITH ME THAT YOU ALSO MAY BE WHERE I AM."

YES, OUR LORD'S TABLE MAY BE A PLACE TO BE RESPECTFUL AND REFLECTIVE, BUT IT IS A PLACE OF JOY AS WE REMEMBER THE REST OF THE STORY AND THE FUTURE WAITING FOR US AT THE END OF OUR LIFE'S JOURNEY OF FAITH.

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THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, AFTER THEY HAD EATEN THE BREAD OF LIFE, OUR LORD TOOK THE CUP, GAVE THANKS AND GAVE IT TO THEM, SAYING: "THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE NEW COVENANT, WHICH IS SHED FOR MANY FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS."

GIVE THE TRAYS OF BREAD TO THE ELDERS AND WHILE THEY ARE DISTRIBUTING THE BREAD, READ SCRIPTURE.

THIS IS THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, THE CUP OF SALVATION, DRINK ALL OF IT.

LET’S STAND TOGETHER FOR PRAYER AND THE SINGING OF OUR BENEDICTION HYMN.

LOVING GOD, WE THANK YOU THAT YOU HAVE FED US IN THIS HOLY MEAL, UNITED US WITH CHRIST AROUND THIS TABLE, ALLOWED TO REFLECT ON OUR FAITH AND GIVEN US A GLIMPSE OF YOUR GREAT LOVE.

SO PLEASE STRENGTHEN US IN YOUR SERVICE THAT OUR DAILY LIVING MAY SHOW THAT YOU LIVE IN US.

WE THANKFULLY PRAY THIS IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR.

SING: #286 BLESS BE THE TIE THAT BINDS

NOW MAY THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THE LOVE OF GOD, AND THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY GHOST, BE WITH YOU ALL, AMEN

AND WHEN THEY HAD SUNG A HYMN THEY WENT OUT WITH JESUS. MAY GOD’S PEACE GO WITH YOU THIS WEEK.