pilgrimage - day #16

Peace - Paix - Shalom

The author describes her daily participation in the Eucharist (which means "great thanksgiving").  She describes the ancient words that are spoken each time the body and blood of Christ are shared in communion.  During the celebration, they exchange the kiss of peace ("paix" in French).  Holy Communion could be described as a love story.  A love story that has knit itself across centuries, across cultures - without barriers.  The mystery of how the spirit enters those that participate in the communion; and why this mystery has continued for so long is the question the author asks of us.

When I was younger I always looked at Communion as the special time in the service that my family was able to go to the front of the church and participate in a special meal.  I was SO excited to finally get to eat the wafer (hard, round, chewy, flat thing), and the wine (strong and burny).  My sister and I used to play communion at home with potato chips and grape juice.  When I finally did get to experience communion I was a bit disappointed.  What was I missing?

Growing up in a traditional Lutheran church, we went to the altar to receive the "bread" and wine.  Those too young would get a blessing.  It was a very formal processional that would take place.  Once we were back at our seats, my family would pray.  I was never quite certain what they prayed for, but it was part of the ceremony.  The congregation would experience communion, but not together...each person would experience it next to another, but not with each other.

Until we came to our church, I never really understood the idea of "coming together" or communing.  We have real bread that is cut in bite-size pieces.  The congregation doesn't proceed to the front of the altar, rather we stay together in our pews.  The bread is blessed, and we all eat together.  Then the wine/grape juice is passed out, blessed, and consumed together.  We never leave our seats, we never have to experience the love story alone.  It is what I believe the true sense of "communion" to be.  There is no pomp and circumstance, but rather the overwhelming love of experiencing the love story together.  What a wonderful feeling to raise up to God in prayer!

Today's scripture
Pslams 139:13-16 (The Message)
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; 
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I think you, High God - you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration - what a creation!
You  know me inside and out, 
you know every bone in my body; 
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, 
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow
from conception to birth; 
all the stages of my life were spread out
before you, 
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.