Imago Scriptura 43 - Communion

I know I have posted this picture previously but it captures my experience of worship yesterday and the reading from Luke 22. I took this shot (which I edited a bit because it didn't come out really clearly when I shot it) while we were in worship with our friends in South Africa last summer. We were struck by the beauty of the diversity of the elders and leadership at the front as the Lord's Supper was being shared. I had a similar experience of this yesterday as it was the first Sunday of a new congregation (NLCC) beginning to meet at PCW for their worship and community life. We decided that the first Sunday we would each share in the communion services of the others as a sign of the unity in Christ that we share. This second congregation is a "young" congregation (just celebrated their 3rd anniversary) and is a congregation whose focus is on becoming an intentionally multi-ethnic multi-class congregation. So, to have their pastors share in communion in PCW's services and for me to share in communion in NLCC's service, it was a beautiful example of the ways that the Kingdom of God breaks down the walls of division that we have set up between churches.

I was blessed further when I got home to see pictures from a congregation one of my best friends serves as pastor and their welcoming of a guest preacher who shared about the Lord's work in his life coming out of prison and the call that God has put upon his heart. Seeing black and white embracing one another in their services as well was powerful and it was into that context that I read the reading from Luke 22.

In this reading, we have Jesus sharing his last supper with his disciples, breaking the bread and sharing the cup telling them to "do this in remembrance of him." I have to think that God was looking down at these dents that were made in the walls of division yesterday and that God was smiling.