Sunday, October 30, 2011

 

Sunday Reflection: Communion


[Click on the image to enlarge Marta's photo of her hometown]

Last night, I went to a service where the congregation went to the front to receive communion, and then served it to one another. You would take the bread and wine, then turn to serve it to the person behind you. It was very moving, and the involvement of each of us as both receiver and servant was compelling.

I am starting to take the eucharist more seriously as the center of the liturgy. It means something different to me now... like a new mist over that moment.

Comments:
Thank you for sharing Prof.
 
The Eucharist preceeds Creeds and as the center of liturgy speaks to Christ's message of love and service expressed in the Our Father, the Beatitudes and the Two Great Commandments.

"...involving each of us as both receiver and servant..."

Very compelling!
 
We have done this at St. Stephen's on several occasions,but never in the big church and it always touched me to the core. In the 70's,when I was a Presbyterian and in college I went to a youth center near the campus in Seattle,and this is the way we always communed. I loved looking into the other person's eyes and serving them and having them say my name as they served me. I loved your phrase "like a new mist over that moment." Quite haikuish,actually. Needs some pine boughs and chrysanthemums to complete the moment...but then it would be an entirely different essay...or would it? I wore my Halloween hat today. Just thought I would report that.
 
Renee, Thanks for the 70's "youth center" memories - The Newman Center at the U of M was a "Happening Place" back then as we transformed many (too many?) of the mass' rituals, including the Eucharist.

The progressive and justice ministries we began led to its controversial closing in the late 90's - miss that community

It was a different yet similar time of protests fueled by war, SDS, Black Panters and more.

Thank goodness today's Tea Party, OWS and Libertarian movements are much more passive...

Fond memories just the same - Thank you for the "nudge" that has rekindled them...
 
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