The Pastor’s Pen

A Communion Thought

I very recently attended a conference on holy communion as a theological basis for the social justice work of the church. I am still processing much of what I heard and learned but would like to share one of the ideas gleaned at the conference. I hope you will continue to read and not simply dismiss what follows as “pastor stuff” that has nothing to do with you.

First a reminder that the oldest writing/talk about communion comes from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians.

“²³ For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord

Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, ²⁴ and when

he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way he took the cup also, after

supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often

as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread

and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

(1 Cor 11:23-26 NRSVUE)

Also remember that Paul wrote and taught that the community of Jesus’ followers, the church, was in fact the body of Christ. In communion, then, when we bless the bread and announce that it is the Body of Christ, we are saying that the church, the whole church in every time and place, is present in the bread on the table that we share.

Why is this interesting and what does it mean for you and me? I think most Christians I’ve met and known over the years have generally thought of the Communion bread as being or representing Christ on the Communion table. In taking and eating the bread, we act the parts of the disciples being fed by Christ. How different does it feel to imagine or to think that we are all sharing in one another’s being and Christ’s; that we are all sharing ourselves and each other fully. This is one implication of Communion that I don’t know I’ve heard and studied before, at least not in so many words. A justice implication of this is that some of us Christians exclude certain, and sometimes many others from our Communion celebrations. Not only do we, ourselves keep people from the Body of Christ, but the powers of sin and oppression at work in the world in all times keeps people from full participation in this Body of Christ. How? By taking and limiting their lives and livelihoods; making the struggle for survival so intense that these people could not participate in the Beloved Community of love and care for one another, at least not fully. In the world’s and/or society’s lack of care and active marginalization of some, the fullness of the growth of the Body of Christ is stymied. Remember that the power of Rome once tried to disappear Jesus in order to control his followers. In raising Jesus from death, God raises the disappeared of all ages and times with Jesus to    fullness of life in the Body of Christ. In other words, at the Communion table, we stand with those who have been oppressed, starved, worked to death, and disappeared by power. We stand with them in      solidarity. This is how Communion is intended to inform our ministries of social justice; by reminding us of our, and especially Christ’s, common cause with “the least of these.” (Matt 25)

I pray we meet at the table again soon, and often.