Occasionally, as a child, I would walk into church on a Sunday morning and think to myself, “Oh no! We are going to get out late today.” The reason for this childish consternation was laid out before me in the front of the room. The table before the pulpit, which usually held the offering plates and fresh flowers, was filled with trays of bread and grape juice covered by a white cloth. However, my attitude changed as I got older and understood the importance of observing the Lord’s Supper.
Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, is one of two ordinances, we as Baptists observe (the other ordinance is baptism by immersion). As Baptists, we recognize the Lord’s Supper as an ordinance (a command given by the Lord to be observed) rather than a sacrament (a means by which God’s grace is dispersed) as some other denominations view it. The Lord’s Supper is a wonderful time in which the church can come together united around the body of Christ.
The Supper is an opportunity to look at the past. We are able to reflect on the atoning work of Christ for our sins. We recognize that the sacrifice he made was that of his own body and the shedding of his own blood for our redemption.
The Supper is a time to reflect on the present. It is a time to examine our own walk with the Lord. It is a time to recognize our desperate need for Jesus. Just as we find ourselves dependent upon physical food and drink to live, we also note that we are dependent upon Jesus. Communion reminds us that not only do we need Jesus for salvation, but we find in him the sustenance we need for daily living.
The Lord’s Supper is also a time when the church comes together to focus on the future. This is a meal that is temporary in nature. We are to “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” It is easy for all of us to get bogged down in the busyness of life. We can quickly forget that time is in God’s hands, and that includes our future, which includes the return of his Son. At the Lord’s table, we remember that Jesus is coming again.
Whether your church observes the Lord’s Supper weekly, monthly, quarterly, or “as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup” I hope you will reverently and joyfully “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
