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There are so many activities that go on here and groups that meet here at Christ Church week in and week out. But, since our founding in 1794, our mission has been to help as many people as possible find deeper connection to God. The altar is our foundation. We want other people to join us around God’s table not for growths sake but because we believe that living out our mission can transform people’s lives for the better. Our mission comes with an invitation: all people are welcome around God’s table. Every Sunday we do something countercultural when we gather together around this table as Republicans, Democrats, and Independents; gay, straight, and trans; rich, poor, middle class; Black, White, Asian, and Hispanic. None of us are worthy and, yet, every single one of us bares God’s imprint upon our soul. We can do a lot of things with our time on Sunday mornings - go to brunch, play soccer, read the New York Times - but where else will we find this type of community and connection, not only dedicated to a common set of values, but committed to seeing each other and supporting each other as we navigate the curveballs and sufferings that life inevitably throws at us?
God’s table is needed in today’s world more than ever.
I recently read a story about a Buddhist monk leading a retreat. The monk invited each of his students to clench a fist with one of their hands. Try that if you like. Clench your fist. And, then, he asked his students to take their other hand and try to force their fist open. Try that. Your fist only clenches tighter, as if by its own will. Now try this: make your fist again and, this time, with your other hand, cradle your fist. You can feel your fist release and soften.
A sea of clenched fists is a metaphor for our world right now. One of the most powerful ways we can be present to our world’s pain is with tenderness (Krista Tippett, "Softening the Clenched Fist"). The altar is a place where we can come to soften our clenched fists. Communion is a sacrament that can overcome even the deepest estrangements between us.
Research shows that rituals can infuse meaning into our daily activities, help us form healthy habits, and improve our relationships. If there is truth in the axiom that we are what we eat, then may we renew our commitment to this ancient and holy ritual: gathering around God’s table, sharing communion, unclenching our fists, fostering tenderness towards one another, and asking God to transform us into vessels of healing for a world that is in desperate need.
John+
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