“The grace of God given herein confirms to us the pardon of our sins by enabling us to leave them. As our bodies are strengthened by bread and wine, so are our souls by these tokens of the body and blood of Christ. This is the food of our souls: this gives strength to perform our duty, and leads us on to perfection. If therefore we have any regard for the plain command of Christ, if we desire the pardon of our sins, if we wish for strength to believe, to love and obey God, then we should neglect no opportunity of receiving the Lord’s Supper” (Sermon 101: The Duty of Constant Communion, §I.3).
You Are What You Eat
When St. Augustine explained Holy Communion to new converts to the faith, he gave them these simple words: “Be what you see, receive what you are.” As food and drink become the energy that enlivens our bodies, when we partake in the body and blood of Christ through Holy Communion, Christ’s life enlivens us.
Wesleyans believe that real grace is received in Holy Communion, regardless of our level of understanding the mystery. In other words, every time you take this bread and drink this cup, you experience the real presence of Christ, whether you “feel” it or not.
And if you don’t “feel” it, or it seems like just a strange ritual to you, all the more reason to pray for eyes to see and receive communion more frequently with your church family. Constant (or frequent) Communion is much like spending time with an old friend. Over time, you finish each other’s sentences because you’ve got into a rhythm of being together. It’s not magic. It’s the nature of friendship and community.
Communion is something you do in community. We just believe that Jesus Christ himself is alive and here with us in a unique way when we take communion together. We also believe that it’s an act that connects us with all of the church across the world and across history…not like a bread-shaped time machine, so much as like when you connect to an Infinite and Eternal Christ, for just a second, you get a taste of eternity.
It’s why we begin with Invitation.
We want everyone to know they belong at this table. Because Christ cast the invitation wide, there’s no one who doesn’t belong here.
It’s why we offer space to Confess and to be Pardoned.
Family meals are always better when you are able to speak the truth about what’s been wrong, and find freedom from guilt or pain. The Confession and Pardon part aren’t to make you “worthy” to receive anything. Christ has already made you worthy. Confession and Pardon allow for you to be part of really making things right (reconciling). They make space for truth and healing to be at the center of the party.
It’s why we tell the story of Christ crucified.
This was Jesus’ last meal with his friends before he was crucified for us all. We tell about the night he was betrayed by his closest followers, and his death on a cross. We are telling the truth of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, and we are proclaiming the mystery at the heart of Christian community: “Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.”
It’s why we ask the Holy Spirit to make something new.
We’re not saying magic words that transform bread and grape juice into something they’re not.
We ask God to “Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,
that we may be for the world the body of Christ,
redeemed by his blood.”
Do you see what we’re asking here in this prayer? We are asking God to make us the hands and feet of Jesus Christ alive in this world today, and we’re asking God to use this simple act of eating together with our brothers and sisters to be the start of that movement. We’re asking God to make us ONE, like individual grapes that come together to make a bottle of wine. We’re asking God to make us new together.
And God is saying, “Yes.”
Wesleys Take the Web is an animated series produced by UM Communications. Our hope is that you will share these videos on Social Media to kickstart conversations or introduce topics that are important to United Methodist history and theology. If you’d like to learn more about UMC beliefs around Communion, check out this page.
New Charlie Baber
The Rev. Charlie Baber, author of Wesley Bros cartoon.
When not drawing the Wesley Bros cartoon, the Rev. Charlie Baber, a United Methodist deacon, serves as youth minister at University United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill, N.C. His cartoon appears on United Methodist Insight by special arrangement.