Communion

Okay so I love to take communion.  I guess I love the focus and doing it "in remembrance" of him.  I also have experienced a lot of different traditions of how one take communion.

The most familiar way of taking communion for me is having grape juice and bread that you tear from and then dip into the cup.  I dont think that there is a right or wrong answer to what needs to be used as long as we are doing it as a remembrance of the Lord.  As someone who was new to taking communion and didn't grow up in a church anytime that I go to a new church I am that person watching and taking ques from others on how they do it here.  Maybe it is just me but I really appreciate when churches explain the communion aspect (and how the specific church takes it) so that a new believer or a visitor does not feel out of place.

This weekend I got to help serve communion at FUMC at the Saturday night service. Brian and I were asked by Wayne when we got there.  No big deal right.  Then the panicky non-traditional church goer (me) started to get anxious.  I told Brian that I wanted to do the cup and not bread (I could not think of what people say when you take the bread).   I then tried to focus on worship and remember that the Lord is good and its okay.  He is bigger than words that I say during communion. 

I got the cup that represents the blood of Christ shed for us.  It was really awesome to see people looking down as they dipped their bread (the body) into the cup (the blood) as I said "this is Christ blood shed for you" and then to see their eyes as they look up at you.  I felt like I saw what God saw on the cross, each one of us.  He kept seeing our faces. Each individual one.  Oh what a joy it was to experience that and to tell people that it was shed for them.

Okay so not to make light of that amazing time and gift the Lord gave me through being able to serve communion but he also reminded me of how human we are and how the Lord has a sense of humor...

So one guy came to dunk his bread and he dropped it in.  He then looked up at me for a cue on what he should do next (after a moment to think) I told him to grab another piece from Brian.  I then said "And this is still Christ blood shed for you."  I hope that you caught that.  I dont know why I said it (I was trying to make light of an awkward situation).  He laughed and all was good :)

The next thing that took me by surprise was when an older gentleman grabbed my hands that were holding the cup and began to try and drink from it (luckily the lady he was with in front of him stopped him).  I was so shocked and didn't know what to do.

I should also mention that Brian, half way through, began to tear off pieces of bread for people to take because a lady came with her hands out to receive and not to tear it off.

Then after everyone has gone through Wayne comes to serve us communion starting with Brian (and taking his bread from him) but I was still holding the cup so I went to say that "this is Christ blood shed for you" but Wayne did too so I stopped half way through the sentence.  It was also funny that Brian managed to drip juice all over my hand (when no one else had).

The next morning at church (the one I work at) Billy was talking and mentioned that one time they ran out of grape juice (because there was an exceptionally large group) and used Dr. Pepper as a substitute.

I guess if this kind of stuff happens you never know about it because you are not paying attention to what everyone else is doing
In all of these things I dont think the Lord was less present and it was less meaningful.  For we "do it in remembrance of Him."  I think it shows his love for us just as we are, imperfect, and his garce in our lives. I loved the opportunity!