"Come to the Table"

Sunday, October 2, 2005 - Rev. Kevin Kelly

I Cor. 6:19-20; Rev. 5:9; Col. 1:14, 20; Acts 20:28

1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 22:7-23

For Thought and Discussion

1. What do you expect to "happen" at Holy Communion? Think about your past experiences of participating in Holy Communion. Did you participate "blindly" or were you taught the meaning of communion prior to participating? How did you feel? What is your understanding of Holy Communion today as contrasted with a previous understanding? Is it the same or different? Why?

2. Consider the statement, "The early Christians did not observe the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion primarily as a memorial of a death, but as the celebration of a presence." How does recognizing that distinction affect the mood and meaning of Holy Communion?

4. Read Luke 22:7-23. This is Luke's account of the "last supper". Notice that the meal takes place around Passover. What symbolic meaning is giving to this meal between Jesus and the disciples because of it being at Passover? Passover foreshadowed Jesus' work on the cross. How so?

5. "Remembrance", "Celebration", "Thanksgiving", & "Anticipation" are four emphases in the partaking of Holy Communion. Explain each one in detail. How does understanding these emphases in Holy Communion help you better understand the meaning and significance of this holy meal?

We Remember Christ's Death
We Celebrate Christ's Presence
We Give Thanks
We Anticipate Christ's Final Victory

6. How does sharing in Holy Communion as the body of Christ increase the significance of the moment? Just as the bread is broken and shared in Holy Communion, we, too, must be broken and shared with others. Our lives are to be an offering unto the Lord for his use and design. How is the "benevolence" offering we receive during Holy Communion move us in the direction of thinking about and helping others? Is this time of giving significant for you?

7. Why do United Methodists not believe in "closed Communion"? Who can come to the Lord's Table?

"A sacrament is a mystery, and part of the mystery of Holy Communion is that we do not know all that is taking place or how it is taking place. It is Christ's ordinance, not ours, and the mystery of Christ's action is always greater than our capacity for perceiving or understanding." --Herchel H. Sheets

NIV Psalm 107:4 Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. ⁵ They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. ⁶ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. ⁷ He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. ⁸ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, ⁹ for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.