A Curious Table - sermon by Rev. Tom Van Tassell. Audio Here
"the unofficial seating chart - you know who sits where in your local church"
the different people in the family of God come from different places and contexts, but we gather together because we are God's people - it is He who draws us.
What does Communion mean to you?
- a restart, a boost
- a remembrance that we are together
- a reminder of what has been given to me by Jesus
- it makes me feel whole again
- I am a child of Christ, no matter what
Four things that are going on at the Table:
1 - Remembering: we remember the story of Jesus, and give thanks
we can remember that Jesus saw our need to be reminded
God meets us and shapes us in worship
remembering in contrast to dismembering! putting back together
re-membering, re-attaching branch to The Vine; strengthens our relationship
2 - Forgiving; re-strengthening of relationships between church congregations
re-starting: we confess, we repent, we commit, we are straightened
3 - Binding together; Communion reminds us that the Body of Christ extends far beyond the Table around which the local body meets
we are reconciled with one another; we forgive others as Christ forgives us
4 - Looking into the future; Communion is like Thanksgiving at the kids table - when we share in the Lord's Supper, we are brought into the "Big Table" with God
there are times when words are not enough; that's when we engage in ritual
the preacher is more sacramental than he was as a young man, because of
the practice of communion with others, that used various traditions, styles, etc.
God is with us at the Table
This kind of work requires a Meal!
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