Thinking about Communion today...........and another "Big Event"

Yes, here is a blast from the past.  I am the "girl in the glasses" - second from the right.  And the year is 1969.  This is my Confirmation and also my first Communion.  It was a very special day to me, although the process of Confirmation was NOT so great.  We had just moved to this area and none of these kids were my friends.  As a matter of fact, they were not very nice to me at all.  They had their own little group and they were not happy that I had burst onto the scene and joined them. I felt very much the outsider. Even down to those Bibles we are holding.  Each Bible had our name inscribed on the cover.  And mine had my name misspelled and the wrong middle name. Again, not so great. So in quite typical middle school fashion, this was not a very good year for me.  But I digress....

The church was a modern, very small sanctuary, that actually had metal folding chairs instead of pews.  I think it seated around 100 people.  The Pastor was not very memorable.  We had joined this church because it was a block from our house.  So there were no big family ties to this church.  But here's the thing, on that day... the day of my Confirmation and my first Communion, something amazing happened to me.  I had a very real encounter with Jesus.   Isn't that what we all want to believe about these events?  It is never supposed to be about the pastor, or the ritual and should always be focused on Jesus.  And on that day, in that small church, I understood the miracle of Communion.  No, this was NOT on Maundy Thursday.  In fact it was in October (and for all those Lutherans out there, it was not actually on Reformation either).  But since that day, Communion has had special meaning to me.

On to Maundy Thursday......there was one particular Maundy Thursday when my church had a family meal before the service.  There were many families there and lots of children.  My own kids were there...Doug was in late grade school and Gwen was early middle school.  During the service, before the time of Communion, the pastor called the entire congregation up to the altar.  Not just near the altar but actually right up to the altar.  And then he told the story of the Last Supper.  And we were all packed in, very close as we listened to the words of the story.  And then we celebrated Communion.  I remembered watching the kids.  And I felt that amazing wonder of the supernatural power of the presence of Jesus in those common elements of bread and wine.  An added bonus to that night was the little girl who announced that she had given her heart to Jesus at that packed altar.

I have always believed that it is wrong to withhold Communion from children who know Jesus.  I am not exactly sure how the church arrived at this tradition.  I felt so strongly about this that I prepared material to help kids in second and third grade prepare to receive Communion.  It was wonderful to see kids able to be empowered with the real presence of Jesus through this meal.  Why would we want to withhold this powerful gift of the life of Jesus from our children?

So that is my Communion "Big Event" story with a bit of a Confirmation story thrown in.  You know it is good to look back on these times.  It's good to remember the reason for Communion and the events of that Last Supper. And it is good to expect Jesus to be present every time we celebrate Communion.  This day is a gift.  It is a reminder that Jesus knew that we would all need to have a concrete way to touch and taste him.  Jesus left a physical way for us to have a spiritual encounter with him every time we participate in this meal.  Isn't that amazing?

Jesus, thank you for this week filled with "big event" days.  Thank you for understanding us so well that you prepared, in advance for this Communion meal.  Help us all to keep our focus on you as we take that walk with you into the Garden,  Give us grace to walk with you through the day tomorrow as we contemplate your great sacrifice for us.  Jesus you are the way, the truth and the life!  Amen