I've been thinking

One of the things I love about following Jesus, is that no matter how young or old you are, Jesus leads us and guides us in a way that is right for each of us.

When I was young, I grew up in a church that didn’t gather to partake in communion. But as I got older, as I understood the history for this church and why they didn’t take communion, I also became aware that Jesus instructs us to do this together.

Then as I have grown older, I became aware of the dichotomy, the reality that communion is on one hand a simple act of remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus. Simple enough for a child to understand.

On the other hand, there is a profound mystery in this simple act of drink grape juice and eating a small piece of bread. Paul reminds us this is so serious that he reminds the church in 1 Cor 11:27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the

bread and drink of the cup. 29 For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves.

The remembrance of Jesus’ death, the communion table is therefore both a place of open grace to all who are weak and need Jesus to strengthen then. It is also a place where we are reminded to take seriously what we are doing, to examine ourselves and turn from any known sin, so we come with clean hands and a pure heart.

So, as we gather around the communion table today, can I encourage you to ask God to prepare your heart for this simple, yet profound remembrance of Jesus’ amazing love for us. It does not matter how young or old you are, if you are coming towards Jesus for the first time, or you have walked with Jesus for many years, Jesus is always wanting to shape us and hold us to be more and more like Him.