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June 2003 Table of Contents
Special Feature
Come To the Table
By Marty Parks
Have we lost the significance of Holy Communion? Has the Lord's Supper become only a memorial service with no reference given to the triumphant victory of Christ's redemptive act? Has the Eucharist been transformed into a lifeless ritual with no spirit of thanksgiving in evidence?
Though it goes by different names according to our different traditions and customs, sharing the bread and cup reminds us of the sacrificial death of Jesus, imparting grace-filled life to the believer. On that, we can all agree!
This high and holy observance (or ordinance, or sacrament) is, most assuredly, a means of grace; an ordinary channel through which we experience the extraordinary grace of God. At the Table of the Lord, Jesus Christ is spiritually present and the gospel is enacted. We reflect on His death and we rejoice in His salvation. We mourn His suffering yet we exult in His final victory. We commemorate His act of deliverance and we celebrate our ultimate destiny. In short, we remember the future.
We call it The Lord's Supper based on Christ's last meal shared with His disciples the night He was betrayed. He instructed them to eat and drink the bread and the wine, which He said were His own body and blood, broken and poured out for many. Just as that meal, in the Passover tradition, was a reenactment of God's deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, our participation in the Lord's Supper allows us to reenact God's salvation from sin and death through His Son, Jesus Christ (see Mark 14: 22-24).
We call it Holy Communion because we share with the community of believers and in the sacrifice of Christ. It is indeed holy, set apart for God. Further, it is because of His Son that we share life in Him and with each other. Christ has brought us together-we are one in Him (see 1 Corinthians 10: 16-17).
We call it The Eucharist, a word meaning "thanksgiving" and having its roots in the second chapter of Acts. There we read that the fellowship of believers met daily in the temple courts and ate together in their homes with thankful and sincere hearts. In the midst of all we have to thankful for, nothing compares to expressions of thanks for the person and work of Jesus Christ who Himself gave thanks at the Last Supper. Introspection should always be balanced with thanksgiving (see Acts 2:46).
I'm so grateful that through my affiliation with Lillenas Publishing Company they've allowed me to create an exciting new ministry aid for you under the auspices of Lillenas Worship Resources. This new product is Come To The Table-A Resource Book for Holy Communion. It's a short, little book-only 40 pages-but I think it packs a wallop!
Come To The Table is intended to be a resource of ideas and applications for pastors, worship leaders, and others who design and implement worship, especially worship around the Lord's Table. Because we all do things differently, not every idea presented here will be useful for every congregation. In fact, the elements in this book have been drawn from a broad spectrum of denominations, traditions, and sources-some ancient, some contemporary. Most likely no one will be able to use them all. Yet probably everyone will find several things that will serve as starting points to spark creativity and bring enhancement to this vital moment in Christian worship.
In Come To The Table, you'll find several sections of ideas and concepts for you to plug in to your planning. Section 1, Opening Sentences for Communion, is an array of introductory remarks that may be spoken or printed to help set the tone for the worship service. The next section contains Unison or Responsive Scriptures, Readings and Prayers. These can be easily adapted into formal or informal settings and will underscore the fact that worship really is more than music.
After this, you'll find sections dealing with Foundational Scriptures for Communion, Appropriate Hymns, Worship Songs and Anthems, a few Creative Ideas for Communion and even some suggested Service Orders for Communion - a contemporary model and a service of carols and scriptures.
All in all, I'm hoping this little book will be something you can turn to again and again through the years. I'm hoping, too, that your congregation's sense of this special moment will be deepened. So, no matter what you call it, the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion or the Eucharist, please respond to the call..., and come to the table.
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