Reno UMC Sermon: 10-04-09

October 4, 2009
Rev. Judith Bither

In the Breaking of the Bread

The first Sunday of each month our congregation celebrates communion. Those of you who grew up in the Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Disciples of Christ or Lutheran churches used to partake of the sacrament every Sunday.

8:00--(Every Sunday an important part of this early service is the celebration of communion.) John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed in taking the sacrament everyday as a way to renew his commitment to Christ. Some people in our churches make sure they are in worship on communion Sundays while others avoid these Sundays. I wonder where your desires are with receiving communion?

I head an Eastern Orthodox priest say that at communion some experience the absence of God rather than the presence of God. I would guess that both are true for those of you sitting here this morning.

Communion is one of the two sacraments celebrated in the United Methodist Church; the other is baptism. Sacraments in our denomination can only be performed by an ordained person. A sacrament is defined as an outward and visible act of an inward and invisible grace. (repeat)

The sacrament of communion has many names: The Lord’s Supper, the Mass (meaning “dismissal”), and the Eucharist (meaning “giving thanks”). The word communion is derived from the word common because it is meant to be celebrated within the community of faith. It’s not a personal act as much as a communal one. The two sacraments in our church are meant to touch all of our senses:

Sight

Touch

Taste

Sound

Smell

Communion always has a four-fold action:

Take

Bless

Break

Share

You can’t just sit back and not be involved as we remember Jesus and our commitment to following him. The four-fold action is very powerful because it represents more than bread and wine shared.

Upon receiving communion we are taken, blessed, broken and given to the world in the breaking of bread and sharing of the cup. Let me add a footnote about the use of the word wine in our celebration. In United Methodist churches we do not use wine, but grape juice (known as the unfermented juice of the grape!) The reason is that we are a church that stands with the world in the struggles of life. In order for communion to be open to all who worship here, alcohol is not used: we stand along side those who are struggling with their sobriety. It is a gesture of inclusion.

Whether wine or grape juice is served, the symbolism is the same: the blood of Christ poured out in forgiveness of sin and as a sign of the new covenant, or the last sacrifice.

United Methodists do not believe that this bread and wine literally become the flesh and blood of Jesus. That’s called transubstantiation. Instead we believe that the bread and wine represent the presence of Christ with us. As we ingest these rich symbols it is as though we are transfused with Christ. I think of it as a sacred mystery, one of the thin places where heaven and earth come closer.

Jesus said, “Remember me”. It is as though we are putting him back together (re-membering) when we gather and share his presence:

Taking

Blessing

Breaking

Sharing

On the surface there seems to be a paradox with the phrases celebrating communion or even in the Roman tradition celebrating the Mass. What event are we marking when we gather at the Lord’s Table for communion? During the liturgy leading up to the breaking of the bread we recall the event that leads to where Jesus served the first communion. The setting in the Upper Room hardly seems to be a celebration! His disciples join Jesus for the Seder or Passover meal. They have eaten together but the mood is no dinner party. The priests are out to get Jesus and they all know it. Furthermore Jesus knows that he is about to suffer and he refers to his blood being spilled, his body being broken. It was that serious.

To top it all off, Jesus confronts the cruel reality that one of his own, one sitting at the table, is about to betray him for a bag of silver coins. He must have been frustrated that after three years together, the still didn’t understand his mission or his message. He would have to show them, first by being a servant who washed their feet, and then by dying a criminal’s death on the cross.

Little wonder there’s a tone of sobriety related to communion for us! But let’s look deeper.

As the bread and cup are passed among the twelve what did Jesus say? Was it, whenever you take the cup and break the bread, remember my death? No! That’s not it at all!

Jesus’ death was an important statement of faith, but now hear this: Jesus death was followed by the eternal epilogue of the resurrection! In fact, Jesus was not saying remember this night, but do this in remembrance of me. He then reviewed his teachings and said, I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy complete.

In today’s scripture story, known as the Walk to Emmaus, two disciples walk along the road talking about the death of Jesus. They are sad, confused, angry and hurt.

And then they meet a stranger who has not even heard of Jesus or what happened to him. When the disciples reached their destination they invited the stranger to join them for a meal. It is then that we read the words that are so familiar in our communion ritual: he took the bread and broke it…This lesson adds the key words: and he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread and their eyes were opened.

The earthly elements of bread are wine are rich with meaning. All of our senses are awakened when the bread is broken and the wine is poured. Yet we are not left just watching; we are invited to join in the feast at the Lord’s Table. We come to renew our connection to Jesus and with each other. Although taking communion is a personal act, we commune as a member of a church family. On World Communion Sunday we are especially mindful that this table extends around the world, connecting us with the larger Body of Christ. In the breaking of the bread Jesus is made known to us! We are invited to see the face of Jesus in each person who dips in the cup with us!

The analogy is a good one, especially for those of us who are involved in more ways than just on Sunday mornings. Sometimes in classes or on committees we may disagree, but we still try to love each other, just like in a functional family. But we have to be willing to come to the table over and over. Every time we partake of communion we have a tangible reminder of Christ in our midst and an acknowledgement that we gather not alone, but as part of a larger family. The church, when it’s half true to its promise, is a group of people on a road where the risen Christ meets us!

This morning as we share in the Lord’s Supper, will you will you experience Christ’s absence or his presence? Open yourself to seeing with spiritual eyes. As you come forward may you behold the holy in the ordinary.

As you pick up a piece of bread that has been cut from a common loaf, and then dip it into the cup, let go of past experiences and expectations. Come empty of self, ready to be filled by the host of the table, Jesus Christ. Those of us who serve you are only vessels for this holy meal. Come with eyes ready to see and taste and feel the presence of the Lord in this place. Come and be filled! For Jesus’ sake and in his name. Amen

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