NoteworthY
Covered Dish Luncheon
August 15, 2010
More InfoMission Trip
This year our mission trip will be held at The Presbyterian Home for Children at Black Mountain.
More InfoMovies Under the Stars
August 7, 2010
Learn MorePerpetual Food Drive
Every Sunday there will be a basket, one in each vestibule, for you to deposit non-perishable food items.
Learn MoreDear Friends of Indian Trail Presbyterian Church,
As a child, I always looked forward to the celebration of the Lord’s Supper
even though, at the time, I wasn’t allowed to participate in the sacrament. The
Southern Presbyterian Church (PCUS) did not encourage children taking
communion until they were confirmed. Nevertheless, I understood it to be a special
occasion in the church. It was a break in the normal routine of worship and usually
meant that the pastor had to abbreviate his sermon a little to accommodate the time
for the extended service. The organist would usually play “Let us Break Bread
Together,” while the elders came to the front of the sanctuary to take the linen cover
off the elements. Everything was very regimented and stoic. In reflecting back at
what took place, it could hardly be described as a celebration. What really made it
special for me is that the lady who always prepared the elements would call on me
at the end of the service to collect all the little glass cups used to distribute the grape
juice. Then she would give me the left over Welch’s grape juice.
Why do we celebrate the Sacrament of Communion? Is it more than just a memorial meal? Why do we allow young children to participate in this Sacrament? Why do we sometimes come up to the front of the sanctuary to partake of the elements from a single cup and loaf of bread, and at other times (ordinarily) we have the elements distributed by the elders? What’s so special about the way we pray during this ritual and why don’t we celebrate this sacrament privately in our own homes? These and many more questions will be addressed in our church in the next few months.
At our July session meeting, I informed the active elders on the session that I have declared the next twelve months, the “Year of Communion,” in our church. As a part of my continuing education at Union Presbyterian Seminary, I have initiated a project to build appreciation for the Sacrament of Communion in the life of a congregation. We’ll be looking at Communion in Sunday School classes, Session training, Bible study, and in a Preaching series. There will be surveys and questionnaires. This is not to suggest that our present understandings of Communion are insufficient or inaccurate. It’s an effort to be better informed so that we will appreciate more fully this wonderful gift our Lord had given us. My hope is that I will learn from you and your understandings as much as you will learn from the pastor. I am excited. Together, we will gain an enhanced understanding of those words, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
Shalom,
Jim