Communion: We Are What We Eat

An early painting of Jesus shows him as a shepherd

When we share in communion, we share in the Body and Blood of Christ.  We consume the Sacrifice reflects who we are as a community even as our sharing of it shapes the community. 

When we commune together in this way, we are making a declaration to each other.  "We are the Body of Christ."  This is something Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:12-14.  All of us together, sharing communion are united in this Body.

This symbolism is powerful.  We consume the sacrifice.  At the same time, we are the Sacrifice resurrected. This imagery is pointed to throughout the New Testament, but is often lost on us. When we share the Sacrifice together we are declaring that together we are the Resurrected Body of Christ. Paul sees us as Christ's hands, feet and so on.  We're like Voltron or the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. We're a more powerful force for good when we're united. But the importance of the symbolism goes beyond unity to communal behavior.

In this act we are claiming to be Christ's Body. We must therefore ask whether or not our Body is doing the thing that Christ's Body did? This question leads us back to the original post in this series in which I suggested that Communion is time to reflect on more than just the death and resurrection of Jesus - we should also focus on the his life.

What did Jesus do with his body? He used it to feed the sick. He used it to heal people both physically and emotionally. He loved. He forgave. And he knew how to have a good time! Is that what our Body does? Are these the things that define our Body? And if not, what should be done to correct this? Communion is a good time to ask that question too.

Little Lessons: Communion Part 2: Unity in Jesus

A Table sometimes used for the sacrament at the Catholic National Basilica in DC

Every Sunday, Christians unite in sharing a tiny meal they call communion.  While they partake of the Body and Blood of Christ (the bread and wine) they share this ritual with Christians all around the world.  They share it with those believers who look like them and hold doctrinal beliefs similar to their own.  And they share it with Christians who look different from themselves and who belief different things about Jesus, or church or politics than they do.  They are united in this ritual whether or not they mean to be."

In this, they are not unlike Jesus' earliest followers.  Among his closest disciples were a tax collector and a zealot.  One worked for the Roman government, the other wanted to overthrow it violently.  He was followed by some Essenes and Pharisees too. He was followed by fishermen who probably didn't care much for politics or religion.  The Gospels don't record him forcing them to adopt a new set of religious or political beliefs before following him.  Their unity wasn't found in these things, it was found in their attempt to follow Jesus.  Something similar happens at the Communion table.

Communion Table at a Disciples of Christ (Christian) church

When we share communion, we are sharing in the Body of Christ, something Paul says should not be divided.  When we share communion, we are declaring our participation in something greater than ourselves, something greater than our understandings and our misunderstandings.  We're declaring that "I'm a part of this with all of you."  This is why we don't share communion alone.  We're not just communing with God, we're communing with one another.  So much of our communion with God is communion with one another. The symbols we share together don't just represent Christ, they represent the Christ in each of us.

Communion is a ritual that symbolizes our unity with those around us and with those far away.  It even symbolizes our unity with those we struggle to love.  It's a reminder that we share in Jesus together.

For Part 1 in this series, click here.

Little Lessons: Communion Part 1: Do This in Remembrance of Me

*The little lessons series contains short lessons of applied theology or philosophy.  This particular lesson concerns a ritual that has always been dear to my heart, even during those years when I was unwilling to share in it.*

Every Sunday, Christians around the world gather to worship and fellowship with one another.  While together, they share songs, prayers, instruction and usually partake in a ritual meal.  This meal is called Communion, the Eucharist, or The Lord's Supper depending on the particular Christian tradition in question.

Christians often think of this time as a memorial.  They take a moment to reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus recalling the last supper that he shared with his disciples during which he commanded them to "Do this in remembrance of me," whenever they shared bread and wine.  

Front and center is a typical Church of Christ Lord's Supper table.  Behind is the stage on which I gave my grandfather's eulogy

Consider for a moment the last funeral you went to.  I attended my grandfather's funeral in early December.  At both the viewing and the funeral, people shared stories about my grandfather's life.  When my uncle and I got up to speak during the service, we talked about his life too.  We talked about what he did, how he interacted with people and what inspiration we can all get from the life he lived.  We did this because that's what you do at a memorial.  It would have been strange if we had spent the whole time focused on his death. For Christians, Jesus' death on the cross is the culminating act in the story of his life, but it shouldn't be the only story that gets remembered around the communion table.

The earliest paintings of Jesus rarely showed him on the cross.  He is often depicted like this, as a shepherd (notice the sheep on his shoulders).  This suggests that the earliest Christians tended to focus on Jesus' life more than on his death.  

Instead,  Christians should also recall the time that Jesus healed the leper, or that he hung out with prostitutes and sinners.  They should consider what he taught.  Those are the things that give his life, death and even resurrection meaning to the Christian faith.  Christian theology would be different if Jesus had only spent time with the righteous or those who were well-to-do.  It would be different if he had taught us to hate, rather than to love.

Communion is more than a solemn moment in a worship service.  It is a ritual that signifies much of what is important to the Christian faith, which is why early Christians shared the ritual together weekly.  It is a ritual beautiful in its complexity.  I encourage my Christians friends to cherish all the beauty this ritual has to offer.