READ:
1 Corinthians 11:23-34
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat:
this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
-1 Corinthians 11:24
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Isaiah 11-13
Ephesians 4
When I was growing up, one of the rules in our house was that we weren’t allowed to go to bed angry (Ephesians 4:26).
All our fights and disagreements had to be resolved. The companion to
that rule was this bedtime ritual: Mom and Dad would say to my brother
and me, “Good night. I love you.” And we would respond, “Good night. I
love you too.”
The value of this family ritual has recently been impressed on me. As my
mother lay in a hospice bed dying of lung cancer, she became less and
less responsive. But each night when I left her bedside I would say, “I
love you, Mom.” And though she could say little else, she would respond,
“I love you too.” Growing up I had no idea what a gift this ritual
would be to me many years later.
Time and repetition can rob our rituals of meaning. But some are
important reminders of vital spiritual truths. First-century believers
misused the practice of the Lord’s Supper, but the apostle Paul didn’t
tell them to stop celebrating it. Instead, he told them, “As often as
you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death
till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
Rather than give up the ritual, perhaps we need to restore the meaning. – Julie Ackerman Link
Lord, when we observe the Lord’s Supper, help us avoid the trap of
letting our observance grow routine. May we always be moved with
gratitude for the wonderful gift of ritual.
Any ritual can lose meaning, but that does not make the ritual meaningless.
No comments:
Post a Comment