Gifts of Grace
“I have a gift for you,” grandma said, leaning forward on the couch with a big smile on her face.
“Really? For me?” Her five-year-old grandson inquired. He had just come home after his first day of kindergarten to this pleasant surprise.
“Yes, for you, silly!” she responded. “But it’s right behind that door there,” pointing to the closet beside him. “If you want it, you just have to open that door, okay?”
Dropping his backpack to the ground, the boy quickly turned and without hesitation, yanked the door wide open. He burst with joy and a loud screech as he bent down to pick up the 12-inch Spiderman action figure. “It’s what I’ve always wanted!” I heard him say from the chair I was sitting in on this particular pastoral visit to see his grandma.
I share this story because this weekend we have the joy of receiving communion together again! In fact, we are going to do something we haven’t done for a long time now. We are going to ask our church family to come forward to receive the bread and the cup and then return to our seats to partake together. I have always found that to be a special time!
But have you ever thought about what communion is and why we do it? There are many reasons that I’m sure we can think of…reasons filled with so much meaning and mystery! It’s a time we REMEMBER Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to save and to heal us from our sins (1 Corinthians 11:25; 1 Peter 2:24). It’s a moment of GIVING THANKS (1 Corinthians 11:24; “eucharist”) to God for all of his goodness toward us, his children. And it’s gathering to COMMUNE together with Jesus and one another as a reminder that we are not alone (Matthew 18:19-20). How rich and how wonderful are all of those things!
And yet, there is even more! Communion is a means of grace. Have you heard that term before? What is a means of grace? Well, it’s all the ways that God has chosen to release his empowering grace into our lives and all the benefits of our salvation (Ephesians 1:3). Things like the sacraments (e.g. baptism and communion) are a means of grace, as well as worship, gathering together in relationship, prayer, fasting, and reading scripture. As we are obedient in doing these things, it enables God to pour out his grace and his Holy Spirit more and more into our lives. It’s like that grandson opening the door to all the gifts God has for us as we are obedient to do what Jesus asks of us–“Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:25)
So as we receive communion this coming Sunday, be thinking, “What grace do I need from my heavenly Father? Where do I need Jesus to pour into my soul? How do I need the Holy Spirit to show up in my life?” Maybe you need peace and calm. Perhaps you need a renewed passion for his Word, a breakthrough or healing in your mind. Or maybe you need more help loving that difficult person in your life. Whatever it is you need, come expecting by faith to receive the gifts of God’s grace!
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”
(Hebrews 4:16).
“I have a gift for you,” grandma said, leaning forward on the couch with a big smile on her face.
“Really? For me?” Her five-year-old grandson inquired. He had just come home after his first day of kindergarten to this pleasant surprise.
“Yes, for you, silly!” she responded. “But it’s right behind that door there,” pointing to the closet beside him. “If you want it, you just have to open that door, okay?”
Dropping his backpack to the ground, the boy quickly turned and without hesitation, yanked the door wide open. He burst with joy and a loud screech as he bent down to pick up the 12-inch Spiderman action figure. “It’s what I’ve always wanted!” I heard him say from the chair I was sitting in on this particular pastoral visit to see his grandma.
I share this story because this weekend we have the joy of receiving communion together again! In fact, we are going to do something we haven’t done for a long time now. We are going to ask our church family to come forward to receive the bread and the cup and then return to our seats to partake together. I have always found that to be a special time!
But have you ever thought about what communion is and why we do it? There are many reasons that I’m sure we can think of…reasons filled with so much meaning and mystery! It’s a time we REMEMBER Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to save and to heal us from our sins (1 Corinthians 11:25; 1 Peter 2:24). It’s a moment of GIVING THANKS (1 Corinthians 11:24; “eucharist”) to God for all of his goodness toward us, his children. And it’s gathering to COMMUNE together with Jesus and one another as a reminder that we are not alone (Matthew 18:19-20). How rich and how wonderful are all of those things!
And yet, there is even more! Communion is a means of grace. Have you heard that term before? What is a means of grace? Well, it’s all the ways that God has chosen to release his empowering grace into our lives and all the benefits of our salvation (Ephesians 1:3). Things like the sacraments (e.g. baptism and communion) are a means of grace, as well as worship, gathering together in relationship, prayer, fasting, and reading scripture. As we are obedient in doing these things, it enables God to pour out his grace and his Holy Spirit more and more into our lives. It’s like that grandson opening the door to all the gifts God has for us as we are obedient to do what Jesus asks of us–“Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:25)
So as we receive communion this coming Sunday, be thinking, “What grace do I need from my heavenly Father? Where do I need Jesus to pour into my soul? How do I need the Holy Spirit to show up in my life?” Maybe you need peace and calm. Perhaps you need a renewed passion for his Word, a breakthrough or healing in your mind. Or maybe you need more help loving that difficult person in your life. Whatever it is you need, come expecting by faith to receive the gifts of God’s grace!
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”
(Hebrews 4:16).