I remember as a child that slow walk to the communion rail where we would all kneel down waiting for the minister to come and serve the bread and chalice of wine. He would always lay his hands on our head to bless us until we reached the time of our confirmation when we could participate. My current church - Presbyterian- counsels people not to come unless they are in right standing with God. I've been thinking a lot about open tables, did you read something that confirmed that position to you or just your own searching of the scriptures?
Hey friend, what a sweet memory you shared! My idea of open communion simply comes from me not seeing any parameters set in scripture for taking communion. Paul does say to "examine yourselves" but this was inline with the community abusing the practice of communion in the first place. What if communion is the very act that brings us into rightness with God? Sometimes I fear the teaching around communion (who can or cannot take it) comes from our human tendencies to want to control the narrative but it's not a narrative I see in scripture. Instead, I see Jesus inviting all to come and eat the bread of life (John 6:35).
Yes that all makes a lot of sense to me, we are attending a church now that approaches communion in a different way and I'm not sure what I think. I am grateful to hear your thoughts about it. I appreciate that my church wants to draw peoples attention to the value of communion but when I think about Jesus and the early church sitting around dinner tables participating in this as part of the meal I wonder how we got here. It can feel at times like we are gatekeepers rather than gatherers
I remember as a child that slow walk to the communion rail where we would all kneel down waiting for the minister to come and serve the bread and chalice of wine. He would always lay his hands on our head to bless us until we reached the time of our confirmation when we could participate. My current church - Presbyterian- counsels people not to come unless they are in right standing with God. I've been thinking a lot about open tables, did you read something that confirmed that position to you or just your own searching of the scriptures?
Hey friend, what a sweet memory you shared! My idea of open communion simply comes from me not seeing any parameters set in scripture for taking communion. Paul does say to "examine yourselves" but this was inline with the community abusing the practice of communion in the first place. What if communion is the very act that brings us into rightness with God? Sometimes I fear the teaching around communion (who can or cannot take it) comes from our human tendencies to want to control the narrative but it's not a narrative I see in scripture. Instead, I see Jesus inviting all to come and eat the bread of life (John 6:35).
Yes that all makes a lot of sense to me, we are attending a church now that approaches communion in a different way and I'm not sure what I think. I am grateful to hear your thoughts about it. I appreciate that my church wants to draw peoples attention to the value of communion but when I think about Jesus and the early church sitting around dinner tables participating in this as part of the meal I wonder how we got here. It can feel at times like we are gatekeepers rather than gatherers
Wow, Jen. I really love that - "It can feel at times like we are gatekeepers rather than gatherers."