Eucharist

I'm grateful that I am able to worship with a Church community that serves the Eucharist as a weekly part of the service. Especially since it is a Nazarene church and this practice is not very common in other Nazarene churches that I have visited or been a part of throughout my life. I'm also grateful that the Eucharist isn't offered in a prepackaged, neat, and clean form. Instead of receiving a tiny circle of a bread-like substance that represents Christ's crucified body accompanied by a small shot of grape juice that represents Christ's blood, each person approaches the plate and breaks off a piece of the bread, which is followed by the bread being dunked into the cup of grape juice (since the Nazarene manual forbids alcohol).

I don't believe there is a right or wrong way to serve communion, but I do believe the method chosen offers different experiences of our participation in Christ's crucifixion that is remembered in the Eucharist. I prefer to grab a larger piece of Christ's body, because the extended period of time need for chewing requires more time that allows longer reflection on what it means for Christ to have undergone sin's manifestation in our selfish, violent behaviors and tendencies. But before I partake of the body, it is dunked into Christ's blood, which I soak so that it drips onto my hand that I place under the bread as I bring it back towards me. Feeling the grape juice drip onto my hands is a strong reminder that my hands are stained with the blood of Christ whenever I cause or neglect to remedy the pain and suffering of others.

The tangible, participatory nature of the Eucharist is important for me, because it constantly reminds me of Christ's willingness to undergo the suffering of our world. And as a Christian called to strive towards holiness, I can always use more reminders. At the last supper, Jesus served the broken bread and the wine to his disciples as a reminder of the cost of obedience to God - a high cost because that obedience confronts the selfish nature of a world under sin's mastery, which might result in death like it dead for Jesus. By continuing the purpose Jesus set forth at the last supper, the consistent partaking of the Eucharist does not become rote. It is simultaneously encouraging and challenging, because it is difficult to live lovingly and gracefully with the awareness of heartache in our world, but I am also encouraged that a life of love is necessary and possible, and we are not forced to do it alone. With the knowledge of Christ's resurrection, I'm assured that God is capable of and is redeeming the world, through the obedience of God's followers, from the tragedies of sin. I will continue to partake in the Eucharist as a reminder that my hands are capable of spilling Christ's blood, and strive to make sure that they don't. And for that constant reminder, I'm truly grateful for the Eucharist and the ability to be a part of a church community that recognizes its value.