Communion. The eucharist. The Lord's Supper. Whatever you call it, it is one of the most ancient of Christian rituals. Along with meeting in groups and singing hymns, sharing a meal in memory of Jesus' death and resurrection is one of the earliest Christian rituals we know of from history. Paul of Tarsus, who wrote the letters which are the earliest documents in the New Testament, seemed to know very little of the life of Jesus-at least he wrote almost nothing about it. But he described a ritual which he "received from the Lord" of giving thanks, sharing bread, sharing wine, and remembering Jesus. Christian communities have gathered in this ritual for as long as they have gathered in Jesus' name.
What we also know to be true about the communion ritual is that Christians have disagreed over what it meant, perhaps since the beginning of institutional Christianity. A major theological issue during the Reformation was the exact understanding of communion; so the modern western Christian landscape of Protestants and Catholics goes back to a disagreement over the meaning of the bread and the wine. And, whatever institutional churches may teach, each participant's experience of taking communion is theirs alone, and may change from time to time they come to the sacred table.
I can tell you what it means to me to take and serve communion. It is a practice of being together in community and a reminder to ground my life in love. Jesus is remembered as having said, at his last Passover Seder with his companions, "Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you follow me, if you have love for one another." I remember, too, what one early Christian leader wrote about the meaning of living together in community: "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love."
I feel this loving connection to all of you at First Unitarian Church during our communion services. This is the purpose of our liturgies, to bind us together in community and to lift our hearts and minds toward our highest values. But the ritual of communion doesn't create that love. It simply reminds me of it.
Love grows in our community and in our hearts when we give of ourselves to each other and our neighbors. It grows when we befriend a refugee family. It grows in our youth groups, when they support each other and serve in the community. It grows when we make music together. It grows when we break bread together at Joy of Lunch or over coffee as much as at the communion table. It grows when we listen to each other and accept one another. It grows when we live a life of service and compassion, living into the Peaceable Way in which so many spiritual masters have invited us to walk.
All are welcome to our communion service this Thursday at 5:45 in the Sanctuary. All who come will be welcome to take the bread and the wine or grape juice regardless of background or belief-there's no test of faith here, and the table is open to all. If you want to come to the service but not receive communion, that's fine too. If communion is not part of your spiritual path, I'll look forward to seeing you at other times and events around the church. We don't all have to believe alike or worship alike in our church, because we open our hearts to be the garden where love may grow-and Love is our source and our sustenance.
In faith,
Rev. Sarah C. Stewart
