Christ and the Eucharist
**Recently I received a comment that my pictures have been really nice to look at but the content of my blog has been lacking. Well, I totally agree. Sorry. I've been really busy getting ready for reading week. Here is something i typed up last week. Sorry for the posting delays...
As I finish up my last week of classes before reading week the work load begins to grow, but also with increasing joy. This morning in chapel we had a beautiful communion service that I found was theologically very rich and facilitated a very reverent and personal experience of Christ through the eucharist. I had my eyes open once again to the reality of Christ and the sure promise that is given to us - that if we would eat and drink his life into us we will never perish but have eternal life. I was also reminded by the Holy Spirit through the words of the message of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ to us - even in the midst of our pathetic, failed attempts at holiness. “And of those who the Father has given me I will not lose one”, Jesus said. He promises his sovereign work of grace not just in responding to our cries for salvation but in bringing about in us consciousness of our sin and raising within us a desire for salvation and for His Presence. And what then does he call us to do? “This is the work of God, that you would believe in the One who he has sent.” That’s it. That we would believe in and trust in Jesus. May he help us to do so.
...But back to the eucharist...or should I type, Eucharist. If the Eucharist really is only symbolic why does the Scripture say that some who ate of it unworthily fell sick, the reason being that they were joining in “participation in the body and the blood of the Lord Jesus”? (citation) If it is because the symbol is just that, a symbol of the Lord Jesus, then we should treat a symbol representing him as if it was him. Then for all practical purposes, the Eucharist should be approached, spoken of, and partaken in as if it were Christ’s body and blood. Theology has the task of clarifying the metaphysical meaning of Biblical language. But shouldn’t liturgy speak of the symbols not as being symbols but as the very body and blood of Jesus?. It should facilitate one’ s experience with Christ not in spite of the physical elements but through the physical elements. It lets the symbols truly be symbols in the deepest, most experiential sense. Those are some of my thoughts for now; I’d love to have some of you post your thoughts on the topic.
As I finish up my last week of classes before reading week the work load begins to grow, but also with increasing joy. This morning in chapel we had a beautiful communion service that I found was theologically very rich and facilitated a very reverent and personal experience of Christ through the eucharist. I had my eyes open once again to the reality of Christ and the sure promise that is given to us - that if we would eat and drink his life into us we will never perish but have eternal life. I was also reminded by the Holy Spirit through the words of the message of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ to us - even in the midst of our pathetic, failed attempts at holiness. “And of those who the Father has given me I will not lose one”, Jesus said. He promises his sovereign work of grace not just in responding to our cries for salvation but in bringing about in us consciousness of our sin and raising within us a desire for salvation and for His Presence. And what then does he call us to do? “This is the work of God, that you would believe in the One who he has sent.” That’s it. That we would believe in and trust in Jesus. May he help us to do so.
...But back to the eucharist...or should I type, Eucharist. If the Eucharist really is only symbolic why does the Scripture say that some who ate of it unworthily fell sick, the reason being that they were joining in “participation in the body and the blood of the Lord Jesus”? (citation) If it is because the symbol is just that, a symbol of the Lord Jesus, then we should treat a symbol representing him as if it was him. Then for all practical purposes, the Eucharist should be approached, spoken of, and partaken in as if it were Christ’s body and blood. Theology has the task of clarifying the metaphysical meaning of Biblical language. But shouldn’t liturgy speak of the symbols not as being symbols but as the very body and blood of Jesus?. It should facilitate one’ s experience with Christ not in spite of the physical elements but through the physical elements. It lets the symbols truly be symbols in the deepest, most experiential sense. Those are some of my thoughts for now; I’d love to have some of you post your thoughts on the topic.
1 comment:
(I commented on every other new post and didn't want this one to feel left out.)
We might be taking communion tonight at TNT (Ok, I don't know if we are or not....I suggested it, but Jared does what he wants. :-) ) so I'm going to wait to post until tomorrow. Hold your breath.
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