Obviously, some
of the ways Communion is practiced among faithful Christians has not always
been identical in every time or place.
The look of the table changes, the type of utensils change, and even
some of the methods of making the wine/juice and bread changes. In fact, the invention of grape juice that kept
on the shelf without naturally fermenting was invented in 1869 by Thomas Welch,
who invented a method of pasteurization that kept the juice from
fermenting. He marketed it as, “Welch’s
unfermented wine.” Prior to this, wine
was much more common in communion.
It was also in
the late 1800’s that individual communion cups began to be used. Before this time, most churches used one or
two single cups that everyone drank from.
Some churches had a couple more for the sake of time. In the 1890’s churches began to use
individual communion cups to help stop the spread of some of the outbreaks of
disease at the time, including diphtheria and tuberculosis.
There were
those who opposed it. Some claimed that there
was no case of someone catching a disease from sharing a communion cup, and
that the metal in the cups along with the wine made the cups an inhospitable
place for germs. Nevertheless, the
individual cup became the standard for many churches. But the majority eventually were in favor of
it for practical reasons regarding sanitary concerns.
I find the design
of some of the early cups rather interesting.
The slanted design of the opening of the cups was to make it unnecessary
for the congregant to have to throw their head backward while drinking the cup. The reason for this was so that it did not
resemble those who drank liquor from shot glasses. They did not want drinking from those
communion cups to resemble what people were doing in the bars.
The latest
development of communion ware is the individually prepackaged cup and bread. Last week as the first time I had ever used
one of these. The Corona Virus outbreak caused
us to decide to use these for the same reason church leaders began using
individual communion cups over 100 years ago.
In the midst of
all of these developments, one thing has remained consistent and
unchanged. The two items remind us of
the body and blood of the Lord. They
remind us that only he is our bread of life, our source of life and spiritual sustenance. They remind us that he has brought us
together as his body. We gather as one
people and one family around the Lord’s table!
He prepared this table for us in the presence of all our enemies. Whether it is sin, powers and authorities
opposed to him, or even a virus, nothing can snatch us out of his hand. Our place at his table is secured by the
blood that he shed for us, earning us a place at his table. We are reminded that his life is our life. We are reminded that he has bound himself to
us in covenant that was executed through his own blood, the blood of our Lord!
Due to the
current pandemic and the instructions of doctors, leaders, and other
professionals, we are not able to meet together around the Lord’s Table at our
regular meeting place. Some do not have Welch’s
grape juice or matza at home. Some feel
guilty for this. Others feel like they are
giving in to worldly worries and should “have faith” and meet anyway. And there are those who have defied the
instructions of our leaders and health professionals and decided to meet any
way in groups of over a hundred people.
I am not sure that this is wise or even desirable. As we have made the wise and godly decision
to not meet physically, here are some truths to reflect on to keep all of this
in perspective.
First of all,
the Lord’s Table is not something we have built, but something Jesus himself
has built. With wood, nails, and blood
stain, he went to the cross in order to bring us around the Lord’s Table. Every first day of the week, his people all
around the world gather around his table.
Some gather under a tree, some gather in a building, some gather in
their living rooms. Regardless of the
physical place or the physical furniture, the actual table of the Lord stretches
all around the world.
Second, God desires
mercy and compassion over sacrifice.
This principle is what allowed hungry people to do a little gleaning on
the Sabbath for their personal self when they were hungry in Matthew 12. This principle is why Israel was able to
still observe Passover in an unusual circumstance in 2 Chronicles 30, even
though they did not have type to properly consecrate themselves. Their desire to get right with God in the
integrity of their heart, rather than carelessness was key. Those who do not have Welch’s grape juice or
matza on hand may find themselves trying to find something else in order to not
miss out on communion. It is a high
point of the week for many people. I
remember a brother telling me, “No matter what happens through the week, when I
meet the Lord at his table, it brings me back where I need to be.”
Third, God is
with us even in these unusual circumstances.
We are not able to meet physically at the present time due to the
sickness. Fortunately, we are able to
connect with each other through the use of technology. Whether it is through live streaming worship,
communion, and a Bible lesson, or through participation in an online blog or
study group, there are still ways we can stay connected.
Fourth, faith,
hope, and love do not diminish during times such as this. Our faith is not in our health, but in our
Lord, who overcame sin and all of the ills that came from it. Our hope is the place he is preparing for us,
where there will no longer be any more pain, mourning, or death. Our love is what motivates us. Paul himself said, “The Love of Christ COMPELS
us.” Our decision to not meet physically
is motivated not from a sense of self-preservation as much as it is out of a
sense of love for our fellow man. We do
not want to be the ones inadvertently spreading a sickness that may to the life
of another. So, we have decided to take
precautions by not meeting as a large group.
This is another example of mercy over sacrifice. This is also why ministry is still happening.
This motivation of love is something that
has moved brethren to look after those not able to get out due to diminished
health. Whether it is delivering groceries
or other supplies, or simply a phone call to make sure everything is okay,
brethren are looking out after those who need it. This is yet another way for the light of
Christ to shine when the darkness comes.
Truly, perfect love casts out fear.
I recently read
some timely remarks from Dr. Kent Brantley, the Christian doctor and fellow ACU
graduate who was working with a Medical Mission Group several years ago in Africa. He contracted the deadly Ebola virus and
survived after receiving an experimental drug when he was returned to the states. Concerning the Corona virus, Brantley said, “The
coronavirus outbreak is an opportunity to "choose compassion over
fear," He went on to say, “I am
thankful to the many, many people who said 'yes' to me in the midst of my most
desperate need, allowing me to be flown to Atlanta and treated at Emory,"
Brantly said. "I'm thankful for the compassion that was shown to me, and I
will advocate for that same type of compassion to be shown to others, including
other health care workers who put themselves in harm's way in order to protect
the rest of us from a global epidemic. …Fear has a dehumanizing effect, both on
those toward whom we project our fear as well as on ourselves. We cannot allow fear, however reasonable it
might seem, to dominate us and drive our decisions. We live in an
interconnected world; the well-being of all of us is directly connected to the
well-being of each of us. The best way to ensure self-preservation is through
joining in the suffering of others and together finding the way forward."
This is the
perspective of one who has accepted Christ as Lord and understands faith, hope,
and love in Christ. Our faith, hope, and
love gives us the lens by which to see such things as this. As we commune together, let’s meditate on all
these things as give God thank for our hope which propels us into the love of
God.
