OK. Haven't blogged in a while.
I experienced a moment yesterday that was one of those almost ethereal moments that stands out of space and time:
I'm in line for communion at church yesterday (a church I attended in College, and this was my first Sunday to go there in 10 years...). I hear the pastor say that there are two bowls next to the bread; one is white grape juice and one is wine. So, my immediate thoughts are like this: Wow, wine, huh... Can they do that, legally? In all my years as a Christian, it seems odd that I've NEVER had a communion with actual wine. It has always been grape juice... In the bible it was wine...
So, I approach the table to take communion and hesitate. I don't really like red wine. But, then again I've NEVER had communion with REAL wine before, just like in the Bible... So I dip my bread into the wine.
It's bitter.
I started to cry.
Jesus' blood is bitter.
It was a bitter, bitter thing for him to have to die on the cross for all of my sin. (I'm crying again as I type this.)
What a bitter, horrible thing, for God to have to give his ONLY son, in death so that He could be closer to ME! Oh my sorrowful heart. I had such an intense time in communion, like I've not had, probably since I came to Christ the first time. Just having that taste in my mouth, took me to an image of the upper room where Jesus, knowing he's going to die, serves the disciples bread and wine.
Very interesting experience, crying my eyes out during communion. Thank you God that your Spirit is still moving in that church, and that I'm still sensitive enough to feel it.
5 comments:
How beautiful. It's way too easy for me to overlook how much my sins cost. Thanks for the reminder . . .
Nancy
I agree. That stopped me in my tracks - an excellent and much needed reminder. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing Sarah. Yep, I have rarely had real wine for communion. Once when we were on vacation and visited a church when I was 8 or 9. Me and my brothers just thought it was crazy cool to be drinking wine. The other time was a year or two ago and I must admit that I was more concerned with wether or not I would get sick being one of the last people to drink directly from the communal chalice. I reasoned that God would probably cleanse it from germs considering the circumstances and, miraculously, I didn't catch anything.
Wow. An amazing, beautiful post. Thank you so much for sharing this!
That is wonderful! I felt the tears as soon as I read, "it was bitter..." God is still moving and His presence is so real!
~Summer
Post a Comment