“This is my body.”

“This is my blood.”

I must confess that for much of my Christian life I have not gotten the Lord’s Supper. In fact, I still don’t get it. I do, but I don’t. In retrospect, I think I have missed it a lot precisely because I have tried to get it. My approach has been largely rational—trying to get my mind or thoughts around it; to understand it so I could effectively receive it. Consequently, as I approached the altar to receive the sacrament I focused on thinking the right thoughts and feeling the right feelings. I wanted to have thoughts and feelings of awe and gratitude and repentance and humility. And the problem with this way of thinking and feeling? Awe and gratitude and repentance and humility are not really thoughts and feelings, are they? They are the deep responsive dispositions of the heart.

It has never occurred to me until this very moment that when I am approaching the altar to receive the bread and the wine, I’m not entering into a religious ritual, I am celebrating a relationship. I am approaching a Person. I am approaching the person of Jesus Christ. He is not somehow contained in the gift of bread and wine. He is the gift. The physical reality of a human person standing before me, giving me bread and wine while saying the very words of Jesus to me—it is as though I am approaching Jesus himself. No, it’s not as though I’m approaching Jesus himself, I am approaching Jesus himself. The celebration of the Lord’s Supper is not about approaching with the right thoughts and feelings. It’s all about embracing Jesus himself.

No, I’m not talking about some kind of transubstantiation where the bread and the wine actually change their molecular properties to become the physical body and blood of Jesus. I do not want to denigrate that doctrine as large parts of the church hold it dear. I just don’t believe that is what this is all about.

This is more like a type of transfiguration—the transfiguration of a moment in which all of history seems to become suspended and we find ourselves in that Upper Room hearing Jesus himself say: “This is my body . . . This is my blood . . . given for you.” I am hearing this from Jesus himself. I am receiving the elements from Jesus himself. I am standing before the person of Jesus himself. He is present in the whole of it all, in the mystery of that encounter where we remember a historical event in a way that transcends history; in a way that brings it right into the moment of communion—yes—that’s it entirely—Holy Communion. Communion is not something we receive. It’s a relationship we enter into and celebrate.

At its core essence, this is what I understand to be happening in this mystery. “This is my body,” and “This is my blood,” can be brought down to three very primal words: me for you. The one who was whole—made himself broken—so that we who are broken could be made whole. Me for you. The one who was full—made himself empty—so that we who are empty could be made full. Me for you.

Here’s the beauty of it all. What he most longs to receive from us in Holy Communion is to hear our wholehearted response of, “Me for you,” right back to him.

And here’s the glory of it all. The truest sign of our entering into Holy Communion with Jesus is revealed and celebrated every time we approach another human being and from the depths of our being speak and demonstrate those same words to them: “Me for you.”

PRAY

Lord Jesus, thank you for those three words you say to us so many times and in so many ways: “Me for you.” Hear me say it to you, “Me for you, Jesus.” And lead me to live this way in my relationship with others. For the glory of your name, Jesus. Amen.

JOURNAL

So how about you? How are you understanding and approaching the Lord’s Supper? Is it an essential part of your life or is it more of an occasional, at times optional thing? Do you get it? 

SING

Today, we will sing “Let Us Break Bread Together” (hymn 418) from our Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise.

For the Awakening,

J. D. Walt

P.S. Can we have coffee together tomorrow morning (Monday) at 9:00 ? 

If you are part of our Seed Team OR ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT IT, this is for you. I’ll be bringing some major behind the scenes updates on all things Seedbed—introducing you to some new Farm Team members and moves—and yes we will be singing one of our favorite hymns. Can you guess which one?  (hint: think harvest) ANYWAY—IT’S TOMORROW MORNING AT 9:00 CST and we will need your RSVP here by 5:00 p.m. CST today to send you a Zoom Link via email.

John David (J. D.) Walt Jr. is the Sower-in-Chief for Seedbed and the pastor of the Gillett Methodist Church in Gillett, Arkansas. 

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