“Do this in remembrance of me,” Jesus said as he broke the bread and poured the wine at the last passover with his disciples before his crucifixion. Some churches remember him in communion every Sunday, some less often, but regularly. Some of us do communion ourselves, spouse with spouse. Others believe the elements must be consecrated by church authorities. Some believe the bread and the wine are the literal body and blood. Others understand it to be symbolic.
However we understand communion, Christians are all called to do it to help our memories. We serve a forgettable God. A God whose reality can slide out of the front of our minds. Odd, isn’t it, that our creator can be forgotten?
Those of us who believe Jesus is who he said he was don’t easily forget his actual existence. But what about some of the key details? In the midst of some minor stresses this week, I forgot what I so easily tell others: “God is right there with you, suffering alongside of you.” That detail–I’m not alone in my distress–rushed back into my memory like the first daffodil of spring. With his company, I can endure.
What are you enduring these days? Hot days, unemployment, boredom, fussy children, cancer, death of a spouse, or a few minor inconveniences you feel guilty for stressing out about? In all the ways we endure in this fallen world, he has promised he will never leave or forsake us. Let’s help each other remember: he is here, with us. Emmanuel is not just a Christmas song. He is always Emmanuel, God with us.
Jesus, thank you for your presence, remembered or unremembered.
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