Fr. Howie is writing a series of “Praying Shapes Believing” articles that appear in our weekly Sunday worship bulletins. Whether it is your first time, or your thousandth, reading, reciting, and praying the traditional Rite II worship from the Book of Common Prayer, it is worthwhile to ask why. We will examine some of our prayers and collects to help us find more meaning and connection in the ritual. See all topics in the Praying Shapes Believing series.
Communion
The Body of Christ, the bread of heaven.
The Blood of Christ, the cup of salvation.
What is it?
All baptized persons who desire to receive Communion share in the consecrated bread and wine (or in some cases only the bread for health or safety reasons).
Why do we do it?
Communion, as something shared by all of Jesus’ followers, begins in the Gospel stories of the Last Supper (Mark 14:22-25, Matthew 26:26-28, Luke 22:17-20). By following this command of Jesus – to take and share what he offers – we show our unity with Christians past, present, and future.
What it says about God
God’s self-sharing in our lives is concrete, something we can touch and taste.
God offers the same blessing to every one of God’s children.
Messages for how we live
Our equality before God is the lens through which we should see one another.
Having been fed by God, we are called to feed one another.
For more – The next time you have a meal with family or friends, think about what you are sharing in addition to food and drink.