Communion of Thanks

Since the birth of Christ’s body in Acts 2, believers have remembered the oil lit spare room seder [Passover meal] between Christ and his band of brothers. A holiday Jesus and his Jewish mates would have celebrated their entire lives, this one was unique. With tensions high in the city, our Savior knew this meal would be their last together before his arrest, trial, and conviction. So, he paused and took two simple elements from the elaborately symbolic feast and reoriented their meaning—the bread and the cup.

Scripture says about each of them:

Many Christian traditions [think denominations, even] observe this ordinance every time they gather. Some celebrate it only on holy holidays while others sporadically use the elements throughout the year based on anything from applicable text to basic church calendar. Some call it communion. Others refer to it as the Lord’s Supper, while some refer to it as eucharist. Any are appropriate, but each holds different meaning. The latter comes from the Greek word eucharisteo [pronounced yoo-khar-is-teh’-o], which means to be grateful and to give thanks. This special word is the one Luke’s gospel uses to recount that special moment where Jesus broke bread and gave thanks and, if understood properly, reminds believers of the very thing for which we have to be most grateful. Salvation. Rather than a note about the sacrificial substitutionary atonement Christ’s death accomplished and those elements aptly symbolize, it’s a reminder to be grateful.

One of the warnings God gave and admonitions he exercised over Israel in the Old Testament concerned how forgetful the nation was.

Before entering the land God gave his people, he issued this concern:

But, it didn’t take long for the people to do just that.

How often have you forgotten to say, “Thank you,” or neglected to sit down and take time to write and send a “thank you” note? It is so easy in the hurriedness of life to let simple niceties slip the mind as we move rapidly to the next important thing. How about a birthday or special occasion? Have you ever forgotten one of those? Somehow, it seems that forgetting an anniversary is different from forgetting to check the mail or forgetting where you placed your car keys. I wonder if it’s true that Israel really “forgot” what God had done or if they just neglected to observe how special it truly was.

Back to gratitude. When Jesus gave thanks for the bread and the cup, he was remembering the vital rescue provided in Exodus. He was foreshadowing the eternal rescue to come. He was also illustrating how we should approach both. We should remember what it is we are grateful for and why in the world we should be so thankful for it. Gratitude is our only proper response to being rescued. And according to Paul, as often as we pause and make use of those elements, we “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” [1 Corinthians 11:26] Why the death? Because that’s what offered us life. It’s his suffering that we are most grateful for and that we must never forget. The elements themselves, whether it’s a tiny prepackaged product or actual broken bread and poured wine, require a pause and a preparation. Think about those two words this month.

Pause for a moment. What are you thankful for and why? How high on the list is the sacrifice of Jesus? And how attached is each other item to the forgiveness you’ve received at such a high price?

And as you prepare to gather with friends and family, whether it involves a trip out of state or just a trip to the store, in what way are you prepared for Christ’s return?

Are we the people who gratefully remember all God has done or those who quickly forget how amazing he is and neglect to praise him accordingly?

The final part of the communion elements is consumption. We take them in and receive what they offer. People will certainly consume a lot of things this month as we celebrate harvest and remember all the things for which we might offer thanks. Thanksgiving as a national holiday pairs being thankful with a plate full of turkey and all the other seasonal sides and sundries. The memories of all we’ve received are perfectly attached to the meal we receive. Even more so, in our faith. When you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, consider each element around your table. As you take and break and consume each one, will you aptly remember the eucharisteo expressed by Christ and the subsequent sacrifice he made for us? When we think of thanksgiving, we ought to remember communion. When we consider communion, we actually remember Jesus.