I’m fearful that in the majority of
the churches today that Lord’s Supper has become a tradition or
monthly/quarterly requirement and not the act of worship it was meant to be. It
has become a set date on the calendar. It is simply the act of passing a tray
down the aisle, a short prayer, and verse of hymn and thank you for coming and
out the door. There is no longer a call to repentance of sin, a discussion of
forgiveness that we have been hurt by others, or a time of reflection of what I
have done to others, no serious reflection on what Christ did at the cross.
Paul clearly set the stage in II
Corinthians 11: 17-34 that the Lord’s Supper is not about the church meeting
its monthly requirement, fulfilling that constitution/by-laws, or getting
together for a time of fellowship it is about a Heart Searching Change.
As I write, this it is not my heart
or intent to criticize any method used to serve the Lord Supper It is my belief
that as pastor and spiritual leader we need to take the individuals of our
congregation to the very foundation of the teachings of the Lord Supper. We
should continually take the members of our church to the place of remembrance,
of the shed blood of Christ which is represented by the wine/grape juice, and
the broken body of Christ which is represented by the broken bread. Helping
them understand that it through a personal relationship with Christ, and
remembering what he did at Calvary is what we need for a personal relationship
with Christ.
As I close, pastor’s I encourage to
simply reevaluate the motive and method for serving the Lord’s Supper. Spend
some time doing a search of scripture, challenging your own heart, philosophy,
and thinking about the Lord’s Supper. Does the method you currently use bring
individuals within your congregation to the place of worship, repentance, and
develop a personal commitment with Christ. If not it is time do to something
differently. My pastor and mentor in the ministry Dr. Don Lougheed emphases to
all us young preachers, Always take them to the cross, always make sure they
understand the significance of the cross, and lead them to repentance at the
cross. That sum’s up what the Lord’s Supper is really all about.
