Sharing a meal with the Lord and our brothers and sisters
Recently, two posts have brought up a question that I’m very familiar with: “Should the Lord’s Supper be a full meal?”
First, Miguel from “God’s Directed Deviations” asked this question in his post “Grape Juice Drops and Cracker Crumbs Lord’s Supper?”
Also, Jon from “Jon’s Journey” asked the same question in his post “Lord’s Supper Thoughts.”
In all of these questions and positions and discussions concerning the Lord’s Supper (Eucharist / Communion / whatever you want to call it), there is one thing that seems very clear in Scripture: whatever else it may have been, it was a meal.
This is the comment that I left on Miguel’s post:
I’ve always found it interesting that every mention of “the Lord’s Supper” in Scripture referred to a full meal, and many times the same language is used for a full meal when it did not refer to “the Lord’s Supper.” For example, see Acts 27:33-36. Also, Jeremiah 16:6-8 can help us understand what was meant by “breaking bread” and sharing “the cup.”
What do you think? Is it important that we understand that “the Lord’s Supper” is intended to be a meal, or can the meal be set aside?
Edification requires Consideration
Eric at “A Pilgrim’s Progress” asks a very important question in his post “Are Different Things Edifying for Different People?” He answers his own question with, “Yes!”
In his post, Eric focuses on the differences between people. And, people are different, both in their backgrounds and understandings and maturity, but they are also different in what they are currently going through in their life.
Because of these differences, Eric makes the following statements:
Since we are different people, we Christians likely are edified by different activities in different amounts, different ways, and in differing occasions. This can even vary from time to time for the individual. It certainly varies between people.
In light of these differences, church gatherings should have a great deal of variety to them. In the busyness of life it is easy to fall into the trap of the routine. Regardless of how churches tend to gather, they can end up doing the same things gathering after gathering. This may be edifying for some, but others may feel starved.
I agree. In fact, not only do I agree that different things are edifying to different people and that these different ways to edify are best brought out through different people serving and speaking when we gather together, I also think that different things are edifying to different people at different times. In other words, as people change, that which builds up (edifies) changes as well.
Now, don’t misunderstand me. Only those things which point back to Jesus Christ and encourage others to follow and trust him are edifying. However, there are many, many ways to point people to Jesus and to help them follow and trust him. And, for different people at different times, some things are more or less edifying.
One of my favorite passages related to gathering with other believers points to this:
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV)
If you read these verses in context (Hebrews 10:19-25), you’ll see that “considering one another” is one of the responses to the fact that we now have direct access to God through Jesus Christ. But, also notice that “considering one another” is the prerequisite (if you will) for gathering to encourage one another. Why must we “consider one another”? Because we are all different and because that which encourages/edifies may be different as well.
Are you considering one another and ready to encourage one another in whatever one another needs when you gather together?
Watch out for those unpatriotic (supposed) Christians!
I’m really worried about Jon from “Jon’s Journey.” His post “Unpatriotic Blasphemers and Traitors” crosses a very important line.
Everyone knows that being a Christian goes hand-in-hand with being a flag waving citizen of these here United States of America!
If someone doesn’t love the Stars and Stripes forever, then maybe that person doesn’t love God.
Sure, Jon includes some quotes from early Christians, but there wasn’t an America then, was there Jon? So, those quotes are completely useless today.
Yep. Be an American tried and true, or you’re not a good Christian.
Oh… wait… Jon is talking about Canada. That’s different. Nevermind.
(In other words, read Jon’s post.)
She died in the church and was buried along with her name. Nobody came.
The title of this post comes from the same song that Robert (from “Abnormal Anabaptist“) used in the title of his post “All the lonely people, where do they all come from.”
In his post, Robert is thinking about the lonely people in this world – people all around us. And, they really are all around us. If we take the time to pay attention, we’ll see them everywhere.
At one point, Robert writes about a time he began to notice the “lonely people” while he was in the Emergency Room with his daughter:
First, we were alone. We sat there, my daughter and I, and no one interacted with us, really. Now, the receptionist dude at the desk took pity, offered a coloring book and a blanket to my daughter while we waited, but that was his job. And, he was busy so couldn’t dedicate much time to us.
Secondly, we weren’t the only ones alone. I saw children coming in with bruises and broken bones, people with injuries from car accidents, alcohol poisoning and/or a drug OD, fevers, illnesses, injuries, etc. And they all sat in their own little corners. No one talked to them. No one listened to them. No one showed any sense of compassion and humanity to them. “All the lonely people, where do they all come from.”
Interestingly, love and concern for others is the first fruit of the Holy Spirit that Paul mentions. It is the “royal law” according to James. It is a demonstration that we truly love God, according to John. It is the most basic responses of a person who is following Jesus, indwelled by the Holy Spirit, and submitting to God’s will in his/her life.
In spite of love being the most basic response, every author of the New Testament books found it necessary to exhort their readers toward love. Love is the most basic response to God, but also one of the most difficult to follow him in.
Thanks for the exhortation to follow Jesus in loving others, Robert!
Mind your own business discipleship
Have you visited Josh’s new site called “In Search of the City“? If you haven’t, you should. And, you can start with his post called “What’s it to you?”
Josh’s post is about following Jesus… and other people following Jesus… and how they follow Jesus into different things than we follow Jesus. He builds on the conversation between Jesus and Peter at the end of the Gospel of John.
At one point, Josh writes this concerning Jesus’ conversation with Peter (about John):
If this man shall follow me in that way, what is that to you? If I lead him to do a certain thing while you are busy with another, what difference does it make? You are following me and so is he. How each of you are called to follow is my business and not yours. Your responsibility is simply to be faithful in that to which I have called you.
Yes! God calls us to follow Jesus in different ways with different types of service to others. Of course, this is not really “mind your own business discipleship”. (By the way, Josh didn’t call it that… that was my “tongue-in-cheek” exaggeration.)
Instead, discipleship is helping others follow Jesus to do what he has called THEM to do – not what he has called US to do. Part of that, of course, is helping them to listen to him and helping them to determine what Jesus is calling them to. Meanwhile, we also allow others to help us follow Jesus as well.
Thanks, Josh, for the new site and for this post! It’s always good to think about helping each other follow Jesus.
Church problems? Let’s blame the other guy!
If you’ve been reading this blog for long, then you know that I have a good friend who lives in southern Canada (i.e., Maine) named Dan. He blogs at “Some Church Stuff.” Alot of his writing is sarcastic and edgy.
His last two posts are not on the sarcastic side at all. They are straightforward and, I think, important for all of us to read and consider. The posts are called “Culpritless Crime” and “Blame the Victim.”
I’m not going to quote Dan’s posts, because I think it would be better for you to read both of them. But, I will tell you the point: if the church of Jesus Christ is not living as we should, then it is not the fault of the leaders (pastors). All of us all responsible for following Jesus Christ and helping others follow him. In fact, the problems among the church have arisen because all of us (leaders and nonleaders alike) are not living in Christ among one another.
As said in a comment on the first post above: “It is so easy to point our finger at other people and blame them. It is much more difficult to take stock of where WE are and move on from there, following Jesus into whatever and wherever he leads us, regardless of what has happened in our past.”
Good stuff, Dan! Thanks!
It’s often difficult for people to think outside the traditional church box
If your understanding of the church falls outside the normally accepted range, then I want to encourage you to have patience with others. I encourage you to listen and to explain carefully and to focus on important aspects.
Jim at “Crossroad Junction” offers an excellent example of this kind of patience in his post “Directed Church versus Participatory Church: A Dialog.”
In that post, Jim relays a conversation that he had with one of his mother’s close friends about gathering with believers in a prison. Jim does not belittle her or get annoyed with her, even when she doesn’t understand in the end.
Here is part of their dialog:
Me: “…I have learned to sit back so they can learn to express what the Lord is doing in them and it always seems to meet the needs of those present. Sometimes I have something to share, usually along the lines of helping to create a framework for them to come forth. This morning, however, like most of the times I join with them, I said a few words as just one of the guys then sat down as they ministered to each other for an hour and half. Like usual, they also ministered to me.”
Her: Silence, then, “Oh, so you are there to make sure they don’t get off track?”
Me: “No, they’ve learned to do a really good job of that themselves. I just go to enjoy their fellowship every now and then and be an encouragement to them or maybe add some foundational input.”
If you read the remainder of Jim’s article, you’ll get a good sense of the life of these prisoners as they live as the church in their prison.
You’ll also see how carefully he answers his friend’s questions. The difficulty, of course, is that she does not understand exactly what he’s talking about because it is so outside of the categories in her thinking about the church.
So, Jim is patience, careful, and includes many explanations and illustrations.
By the way, this is also a terrific way to deal with any kind of disagreement or misunderstanding.
Great example, Jim! Thanks!
Simple Church? Organic Church? House Church? Missional Community?
I’m so far behind in the blogosphere right now that I’m almost ready to give up and start fresh with posts from today. However, before I went out of town (and away from the computer) last week, I began following a series called “What’s in a Name” by Felicity at “Simply Church.”
So far, Felicity has examined the source and reason for the names “House Church,” “Simple Church,” “Organic Church,” and “Missional Community.” I love the way that she finds positive attributes behind each name.
For me, I prefer just using the name “church” for any gathering of believers. Yes, some believers organize more than others – and yes, sometimes I believe that organization overshadows the church. But, if the people of God are gathered, then the church is there.
On the other hand, I understand that it can be important to use labels such as those above (and others). I hope, though, that those who use various labels use them as descriptive and not as a reasons for separation or pride.
We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, and when we gather we are God’s church.
Church in the fullest sense of the word
Felicity at “Simply Church” has written a very good post called “What is church?” I love that her posts are usually very short and to the point, and this one is as well.
In this post, she briefly talks about three scriptural metaphors for the church: temple, living stones, and family. She spends a little more time fleshing out the familial metaphor.
Then, at the end of her post, she includes this very good quote:
When two or three true, born-again believers come together in His name, Jesus is in the midst. Jesus in the midst is church! It is a different experience than Jesus within. We cannot experience Jesus in the midst when we are alone. We can only experience Jesus in the midst when we are in company with others–at least one or two others.
But is it church in the fullest sense of the word? Yes, it is a church in the fullest sense of the word. It is the basic church. You can have more than two or three and it is still a church, but it does not become “more church” because there are more than two or three. It only becomes bigger church.
This is a pretty good explanation. The number of people gathered together does not make a group “more” or “less” church.
The baptism of Jon, from where did it come?
No. There is no typo in the title of this post. And, yes, it is a take-off of Matthew 21:25. However, I am not talking about “John the Baptist.”
Instead, I’m talking about Jon from “Jon’s Journey.” He has started a series on the topic of “baptism” that promises to be very good.
So far, he’s published two posts: “Baptism Questions” and “Baptism without Water.”
Here is part of his latest post:
Could it be that John baptized with water, but Jesus was going to wash/immerse/dye people with the Holy Spirit and fire (and not necessarily with water). John doesn’t say Jesus will baptize with water and also baptize with the Holy Spirit.
I did a similar study of baptism a few years ago, covering the use of the term in the LXX (Septuagint), Philo, Josephus, and the New Testament. Unfortunately, the Greek text in those posts was corrupted during a database upgrade, so much of the series is indecipherable.
Baptism is definitely an interesting study, and followers of Jesus come to different conclusions today. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of Jon’s study.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on baptism.