What did this meal of bread and wine signify to the first Christians? In Saving Paradise, authors Rita Nakashima Brock and Rebecca Ann Parker assert that it was a celebration of the presence of the living Christ. The scriptural models for the meal were the manna in the wilderness, the feeding of the multitude, and the Emmaus road encounter.
Writings from early church leaders and from the apostle Paul indicate that the “breaking of bread” was more than a bite-sized sample. The bread and the cup were shared in the context of a meal, which included the “fruits of paradise.”
This Thursday, we will celebrate Communion as a Feast of Paradise. It will not be a historical reenactment-- but an act of worship that seeks to be true to the spirit of the feast.
We will receive an offering, not of cash, but of bread, fruit, nuts, cheese, flowers for the table (but no meat)... bring your offering on a serving platter or basket. We will have a table for you to set it on just outside the sanctuary, where we will gather for the first part of the worship experience. After the sermon and prayers, we will have our offertory processional from the sanctuary to the fellowship hall. Pick up your offering on your way out of the sanctuary as we move to fellowship hall for part two-- the meal.
In fellowship hall, we will pray the Great Thanksgiving, break the bread, share the feast, and afterward lift the cup, and drink to the new covenant. Then there will be a prayer of thanksgiving after the meal, before a benediction.
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