Thursday, June 16, 2005

Good Morning!

Hope you are doing well this week. Note that I won't be at church this Sunday (unless it rains). Need someone to help lead the discussion. I'll have some questions today and tomorrow to help.

The new unit for this week is Unit 7 , The Lord's Supper

Focus Scripture for the Week: Acts 2:42

They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:14-22

-- there are a couple of thoughts we should take away from this scripture.

-- one is the reinforcement of the idea outlined in the Reflections section of our study -- the idea of the Lord's Supper as being symbolic of the unity of the church. We should feel a connection, not just with the members of our own local church, but connected to Christians across the world. And that unity, that connection, shouldn't be just with young, white, middle-class, suburban Methodists like ourselves. It should cut across all boundries of age, income and race.

-- I think that part of that unity should stem from not just the acknowledgement that we are Christians, but from the ritual of the Lord's Supper itself -- that we all take - in some form - the bread and wine. World Communion Sunday -- held in early November, I think -- especially gives us a sense of unity, knowing that other Christians around the world on the same day are sharing in the same ritual.

-- the second thought is the idea that we can't pledge allegiance to both the God and Satan; we can't be at one with the church and in unity with evil at the same time. The scripture has a nice symbolic phrase to make that point -- "you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons, too". In practical terms, I think that this is about the kind of lives we are living before we come to communion and when we leave -- beyond the altar rail. How we are living beyond the altar rail dictates whether our taking communion is symbolic of our unity with Christ and his people, or an empty, meaningless ritual.

Today's prayer request: Natalee Holloway's family.

I think that today is day 17 of this, and I think everyone knows what the ultimate resolution of this mystery will be. Let's pray that it be resolved soon, and give the family strength to get through this ordeal.

Today's class member prayer:

Krystle Hatton

Have a great day.

Jay