Whenever I get several questions about the same kind of spiritual topic, I believe it is God telling me to listen up.  Such is the case with Holy Communion.  In the past month, I've been asked why Communion is so important, why we don't have it every Sunday, and why we even have it at all.  When that last question came, I figured it was time to preach about it.  It's also appropriate, as Reformation is coming, and Communion was important to the Reformers.  The Augsburg Confession, Article 24 states, "In our churches Mass is celebrated every Sunday and on other festivals..."  Well then, why is Communion so important?  Why don't we have it every Sunday?  Or why do we have it at all?  I'll start with the last question first.

          Why do Christians celebrate Holy Communion?  We do so because Jesus commanded us to, and also because it connects us with God's people in the Old Testament.  Holy Communion is not a new thing.  It is connected to the Jewish Passover which began 3,500 years ago.  This makes it the oldest spiritual observance in recorded human history.

          The Passover meal began in Egypt.  Joseph was sold into slavery but rose to power, so he brought his family, the Hebrews, to live there.  The Hebrews were later enslaved for hundreds of years until God raised up Moses who told the Egyptian king he must let the people go.  Pharoah refused, so God sent ten horrible events - plagues, the Bible called them - to convince Pharoah to release them.  The last plague was the worst, so God told His people to get ready for a journey to the promised land.  But first they had to have a meal to remember the night, for God was going to send the Angel of Death over the whole nation, and only those homes whose doors had been smeared with the blood of a sacrificed lamb would be passed over.  The plague worked, Pharoah let the people leave, and every year since that time, Jews have observed the Passover meal to recall how God miraculously got them released from slavery to the Egyptians.

          The night Jesus started Holy Communion, He and His disciples were observing the Jewish Passover meal.  During the sharing of the bread, Jesus broke it, passed it around and said, "This is my body, broken for you.  Do this often to remember me."  Then He took a cup of wine, passed it among them and said, "Drink from this, for this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for the forgiveness of your sins.  Do this often to remember me."

          Some call that the meal the Last Supper, but it was really the First Supper, the Lord's Supper, a new meal that came from an old observance.  Just as the Passover supper recalled to them how God released His ancient people from slavery to Egypt, now the Lord's Supper recalls to us how God released His new people, the Church, from slavery to sin.

          Holy Communion connects us with the whole history of God's people.  It came from the Passover, and yet it's not the same as the old Passover.  It's the new Passover, a holy supper, the Lord's Supper.  Some call it holy Eucharist and others call it the Lord's Table.  When we receive the bread and wine, with faith in Christ, we also receive the body and blood of Jesus.  But only when we receive the elements with faith.  The bread or wine that is spilled is only bread and wine.  It is not changed into anything more than what it is.  Nor does the bread and wine merely represent the body and blood.  Jesus said, "This IS my body, this IS my blood," so we take Him at His word.  His body and blood are really present in, with and under the bread and wine.  When we receive them in faith, we receive Christ's true body and blood.

          Another important connection between Passover and Holy Communion is the recognition that Jesus is the innocent lamb of God, by whose death and shed blood the sin of the world has been removed.  He died once and for all, and through His death the world is saved.  Now "All who believe on Him will not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

          Holy Communion is central to the Christian faith.  Christians have been observing it regularly since Christ Himself gave it to us.  Well, then, some have asked, if communion is that important, why don't we have it every service?  The answer is custom.  God tells us we should do it often to remember Him, but He does not tell us how often.  That's for us to decide.

          No congregation MUST have Communion at every worship service.  They only must have it OFTEN.  "Often" has no set limits.  Jesus didn't say HOW often.  In response, some churches offer it every Sunday, but others may have it every other Sunday.  Both are right.  Public worship does not require Holy Communion.  It is still valid and good without Communion, but it still must be offered regularly.  At Epiphany, we offer it the 2nd 4th and 5th Sundays. That's our custom, unless and until we change it.

          Every Lutheran congregation is autonomous.  Members may choose to change its customs by vote.  While we cannot vote on whether to have Holy Communion (for Christ has commanded we do it), we can, however, determine how often.  That's why congregational meetings are important.  Failing to attend Congregational Assembly meetings forfeits one's right to help make such decisions.  (By the way, this public announcement has been brought to you by your Church Council members who encourage all to attend our church's quarterly meetings.)

          The most important of the three questions, however, is about the importance of Holy Communion.  Why is it so important for us?   What makes Communion so special?  The answer is threefold:  1) Remembrance,  2) Forgiveness, and  3) Unity.

          #1 REMEMBRANCE - People are forgetful.  We need to be reminded of things all the time, especially the things of God.

          Recently, I was diagnosed with AAADD - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.  This is how I discovered I have it.  Last Monday I decided to wash my car.  As I started toward the garage, I noticed the mail had come, so I put my keys in my pocket and went through the mail.  As I put the junk mail in the trash, I noticed the can was full, so I put the bills back on the landing and took out the trash.  Since the trash was near the mailbox, I decided to put the bills in the mailbox.  I noticed one bill didn't have a check, so I took my checkbook out of the drawer, and saw there were no checks left, so I went to my desk for more checks and found that can of Coke I'd been drinking.  I went to put it in the fridge to keep it cold, and as I headed toward the kitchen the plant on the counter caught my eye--it needed watering.

          I set the Coke down, and saw my sunglasses I'd been searching for all morning.  I decided I'd better put them back in my car, but first I had to go water that plant.  So I set the glasses back down on the counter, filled a pitcher with water and spotted the TV remote under some napkins.  I remembered I wanted to finish watching that movie we'd started last night, so I set the pitcher down, splashing some water on the floor.  I went for some towels, but dropped the remote and its batteries went all over the floor.  I went looking for batteries, so I headed down the hall to the bedroom where I kept them.  I found a new magazine on the bed, started reading it, and fell asleep.  When I woke up, the car wasn't washed, the bills weren't paid, the letters weren't mailed, there was a warm can of Coke on the counter, the plant wasn't watered and there was water on the floor.  There were no checks in my checkbook, the remote didn't work, my glasses were lost, and I didn't know why my car keys were in my pocket.  But I figured I must have been busy all day, because even after that nap I was still tired.

          People are forgetful.  We need to be reminded often what God has done for us.  Communion helps us remember.  That's why we do it often.  If we don't, we'll forget to come to church.

          #2 FORGIVENESS - Jesus died on the cross to forgive us.  He rose again from the grave to prove He is God's Son.  In Holy Communion, we are reassured of our forgiveness.  Jesus meets us in the bread and wine and gives us of Himself.  Jesus gives us and forgives us.  Then we can forgive each other, as we pray in the Lord's Prayer, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." (Matthew 6:12)   Communion forgives our sins.

          #3 UNITY - Communion means "with unity."  In Holy Communion we are united with Jesus and with each other.  No matter how separated we are, Communion unites us.  You can't come to the Lord's Table and not be changed.  God brings us together, and when we commune often, He will keep us together.  The church that communes together, stays together.

          Years ago a member got angry with me, and I don't know why.  Ron just quit coming to church, and though I asked him again and again, he gave me no answer.  When I left there for another church, I heard Ron decided to attend seminary to become a pastor.  One day I got a letter from him asking my forgiveness, so I called him and we talked, the first good talk we'd had since before he became angry.  He said he'd gone to communion last Sunday and needed to ask my forgiveness. I assured him I had forgiven him, but I never learned the cause of his anger.  It didn't matter.  We were united again.  Today Ron is a pastor in Nebraska, and I often wonder if he recalls that phone call.

          Maybe we should have communion more often.  That's a topic for the Congregation to decide.  There's something simple and wonderful in this.  God brings us together for a holy meal, and we are united.  May God remind us always of His love.  May He reassure us of our forgiveness, and may we always be united together, no matter who we are or what we have done.  Amen

Copyright © 2005 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.