Reflections on Communion

What is it that we do here each week, when we share communion—the Lord’s Supper—together?

Communion is a ritual filled with many layers of meaning, with a rich history, and a bit of disagreement, and many different—yet good—interpretations. The sharing of bread and wine is one of our oldest Christian rituals, mentioned in Paul’s letters, the earliest portion of the New Testament, and in the book of Acts, the story of the early church.

Communion is a sign of the coming of the Realm of God, which sounds so heavy, but is so accessible.

Again: Communion is a sign of the coming of the Realm of God, or the kingdom of God

The Realm of God, Jesus said, is like a wedding banquet to which we are all invited. And it’s so important that we all be there, that a shepherd would leave his whole flock to find just one missing sheep.

We see the realm of God in the other meals that Jesus ate in his lifetime—meals with sinners, tax collectors, the outcasts, the poor, the marginalized. Throughout Jesus’ life, this open table was one of his most characteristic and controversial practices. It was carried through in the early Christian church, where the Jews and the Greeks, the rich and the poor, slave and free, male and female broke bread and worshipped together, sharing actual meals, “love feasts,” the ancient coffee hour.

These meals recall that ancient promise of the prophet Isaiah, who said that on the mountain, God will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, of well aged wine, and wipe away the tears from all faces. God invites all to the feast, and we are to turn no one away.

This is what we –not just symbolize—but actually act out, when we share communion: that we are all invited to God’s table—coming from east, and west, north and south— that we are all invited to a common life, together, ordered by justice, love, and peace. In a world marked by war, the church is called to be an outpost of the realm of God on earth, to build it and to share it. And of course, our life and the church’s life is messy. But this ritual, this sacrament is a sign of that hope which we have, that “God’s kingdom will come”, that someday all the earth will be fed, will be at peace, will be whole.

It is appropriate that in our communion, as we act out the practice that makes us followers of Christ, we also remember and give thanks for all that God has done and is doing. And we remember this tangible life of Jesus, a flesh and blood person who lived among us and showed us how we could be, how could live. We remember Jesus, and we remember what it cost Jesus to do this—his life, his body, his blood. Communion memorializes that sacrifice, but also points towards victory.

For death was not the end— afterwards, Jesus appeared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus: they did not recognize Jesus but saw him as a stranger, until later when they invited him to stay for dinner, and then Jesus took the bread, blessed and broke it, and their eyes were opened, and they recognized Jesus for who we was.

I pray that when we share the glorious open feast of communion, that we may draw closer to God, that we may see Jesus in our midst, that we might be encouraged and strengthened to go out into the world and live the life to which we’ve been called.

Sacred Text for Reflection on Joseph of Arimathea

From John 19

After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there

Joseph of Arimathea

It’s evening, the day before the Sabbath, and Jesus has been murdered by the Roman authorities with perhaps the complicity of the Jewish leader, and Jesus’ body hangs on the cross. Before Jesus was crucified, his friends deserted him in fear, saw the crowd that had come & denied even knowing him. Even the closest of Jesus’ followers were scared.

Enter Joseph of Arimathea, who is mentioned by all four gospels. Mark says that Joseph of Arimathea was a respected member of the council, who was “waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God” and emphasizes that Joseph went boldly to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.

The gospel of John, which was the sacred text for today, tells us that Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus, because he was afraid of the temple authorities, who John--a Jew himself—refers to as “The Jews”. And, John alone mentions Nicodemus, also a member of the ruling council, who had come to Jesus by night, in secret. And they go, boldly, risking their position—perhaps their lives—to ask for the body of Jesus so that it could be buried.

We reflected here together on the story of Esther two weeks ago, and I am surprised at the parallels between the stories. Both Joseph and Esther have a secret identity—Esther as a Jew, Joseph as a Jew following Jesus. All this secrecy—perhaps a necessary part of being faithful in a dangerous world? Or is it just fear of being different, the fear that keeps my faith too often hidden outside this church?

There is a time to keep quiet, to be wise in the disclosure of the truth, to work for the kingdom of God in secret. In that secrecy we can still draw close to God, to gather strength or simply just be held by the God who loves us. There can be danger in speaking out—we still may face losing a job when coming out as gay, or joining a political or religious group. The recent terrorist murder of Dr. Tiller shows that even this country, the threat of violence might face those who step out.

But if there is a time to keep quiet, there is a time to step out, to stand up. Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple in secret, but the time came when had to act boldly. Can we speculate why? Maybe he acted boldly because this was the last chance he might have to really follow Jesus. Maybe he acted boldly because he couldn’t just abide letting Jesus hang there. And maybe he acted boldly because keeping quiet, keeping his secret was bringing him further, not closer to God.

There is a group of people today, one group among many, who are not just waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, but acting boldly to bring it about. Thousands of Iranians throng the streets, and resist the stolen election, the totalitarian state that lashes out in violence. Let us hold them in our prayers, and pray for their courage.

There is no evidence that Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, did anything to try to stop the execution of Jesus, and there may have been no way he could have even tried. His bold action was too late to save Jesus from death, but it may have saved Joseph from a spiritual depth. God is on the side of those who proudly live their God-given-truth, who do not hide their faith, who cannot remain silent in the face of oppression, who step out and speak the Word that God has given them.

There is a saying: “the tallest blade of grass is the first to be cut down”. And you can stay low, avoid getting cut down, but also never grow. And there is another saying, by Jesus himself: “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit”.

And so I leave you with this question: is there somewhere in your life that you need to step forward? Do you believe that God will stand by your side?

Amen.