To all of the awesome ladies out there who are positive influencers, thank you for being awesome. The older I get, the more I appreciate all that you do. I read a sign that said, “Mom- chaos coordinator” and thought, yes, that is definitely one of their roles. I heard someone say, “The three most important letters in baseball and softball are not RBI, ERA, or AVG. They are MOM!” The older I get, the more I appreciate my mother as well.
As we prepare for communion this morning, I thought about what my Mom had taught me about communion. I realized that one of my best memories of my Mom is not only the great meals she would cook or the way she loved letting us have friends over and parties, but it is the way she prioritized communion.
My mom prioritized three things with communion: First: do it regularly; Second, prepare for communion; and Three, don’t take it unless your mind is in the right place to keep it relational with Christ.
First: To do it regularly, Acts 20:7 early believers would meet the first day of the week to gather and break bread- would make every effort to be at church, but would take it at home or on the road as a family.
Second: Preparing for communion meant keeping our minds on Christ on Sunday mornings. She encouraged us to prepare for communion from the time we woke up. There was no tv on Sunday mornings. No video games. She reminded us of the importance of what it represents. The goal was to prepare our minds to be focused on Christ and to take communion in a worthy manner. The command is found in 1 Corinthians 11:26-28, “For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup you are retelling the message of the Lord’s death, that he has died for you. Do this until he comes again. So if anyone eats this bread and drinks from this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, he is guilty of sin against the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 That is why a man should examine himself carefully before eating the bread and drinking from the cup.”
Third: We wanted to take communion in a worthy manner, so we wouldn’t take it unless we were focused on Christ. This was real. I knew something was up if Mom or Dad didn’t take it! Needed to be sincere about confession, forgiveness, and love.
So, this morning, we are all here to build our relationship with Christ and help others do the same. I want to help you prepare and focus. Close your eyes or focus on the cross.
Focus on Christ. Imagine eating w Him. What is He saying to you? What are you saying to Him?
Remember His death on the cross. Thank Him for His sacrifice. Ask Him about your sins and confess your sins.
Think about His resurrection. Imagine Him hugging you. What victories did you have this week because of Him? Take a moment to praise God for his forgiveness and His unimaginable power.
