Little Lessons: Communion Part 1: Do This in Remembrance of Me

*The little lessons series contains short lessons of applied theology or philosophy.  This particular lesson concerns a ritual that has always been dear to my heart, even during those years when I was unwilling to share in it.*

Every Sunday, Christians around the world gather to worship and fellowship with one another.  While together, they share songs, prayers, instruction and usually partake in a ritual meal.  This meal is called Communion, the Eucharist, or The Lord's Supper depending on the particular Christian tradition in question.

Christians often think of this time as a memorial.  They take a moment to reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus recalling the last supper that he shared with his disciples during which he commanded them to "Do this in remembrance of me," whenever they shared bread and wine.  

Front and center is a typical Church of Christ Lord's Supper table.  Behind is the stage on which I gave my grandfather's eulogy

Consider for a moment the last funeral you went to.  I attended my grandfather's funeral in early December.  At both the viewing and the funeral, people shared stories about my grandfather's life.  When my uncle and I got up to speak during the service, we talked about his life too.  We talked about what he did, how he interacted with people and what inspiration we can all get from the life he lived.  We did this because that's what you do at a memorial.  It would have been strange if we had spent the whole time focused on his death. For Christians, Jesus' death on the cross is the culminating act in the story of his life, but it shouldn't be the only story that gets remembered around the communion table.

The earliest paintings of Jesus rarely showed him on the cross.  He is often depicted like this, as a shepherd (notice the sheep on his shoulders).  This suggests that the earliest Christians tended to focus on Jesus' life more than on his death.  

Instead,  Christians should also recall the time that Jesus healed the leper, or that he hung out with prostitutes and sinners.  They should consider what he taught.  Those are the things that give his life, death and even resurrection meaning to the Christian faith.  Christian theology would be different if Jesus had only spent time with the righteous or those who were well-to-do.  It would be different if he had taught us to hate, rather than to love.

Communion is more than a solemn moment in a worship service.  It is a ritual that signifies much of what is important to the Christian faith, which is why early Christians shared the ritual together weekly.  It is a ritual beautiful in its complexity.  I encourage my Christians friends to cherish all the beauty this ritual has to offer.