10-6-24 “World Communion: Openness and Unity”

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“World Communion: Openness and Unity”

I want to start with something funny that I found on an internet site: A four-year-old was in church when the wine and communion wafers were passed out. He was very interested in this, and started to get up. His mother leaned over and told him that he was not old enough to partake in the Communion.

Later, when the collection plate came by, he ignored it. His mother again leaned over and tried to coax the nickel out of him. He steadfastly refused, saying, “If I can’t eat, I’m not paying.”

Today is “World Communion Sunday,” a fitting time to reflect on the meaning of Holy Communion. Jesus taught us to observe it often in remembrance of Him. We celebrate Communion on the first Sunday of each month, remembering His sacrificial love and promise. In our tradition, we use bread and grape juice. The United Methodist Church does not recommend wine due to concerns about alcohol, although some denominations use real wine. The rites and elements of Holy Communion may vary depend on culture and circumstance.

What was your first impression of Holy Communion? Is there a church’s Communion service that you remember especially well? We usually don’t forget our first impression. My first experience with Holy Communion was actually a bad one. It was the first time my entire family attended a Sunday service together, and we were excited and deeply grateful that God had called all of us. However, when it came time for Communion, we were deeply disappointed because my father and I were not allowed to receive it. In the Korean Methodist Church, only baptized members can partake in Communion. Their Holy Communion service is solemn, with a mourning atmosphere, as they remember Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins. It feels like everyone is grieving the loss of Jesus Christ. After being baptized, when I received my first Communion, I cried in front of the pastor, the Communion officiant. I felt as though God had finally accepted me and forgiven my sins, making me a child of God. However, the atmosphere was still like a funeral service for Jesus, filled with a sense of grieving.

Since coming to the United State, I have regularly attended the chapel service at the Lutheran School of Theology, where I received my Ph.D. I was surprised by the way Holy Communion was celebrated in the chapel. Lutherans believe that the bread and wine (they use real wine) are the actual body and blood of Christ. They celebrate the unity with Jesus and with one another through partaking in the bread and wine, focusing on the hope of new life, remembering Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the promise of His return. Their Communion service is filled with joy, with dancing and singing, which is very different from the serious atmosphere of the Korean Methodist Church.

Let’s review Communion among early Christians. As we can glimpse in today’s scripture, the Corinthian church experienced division and conflict during Holy Communion. According to Jesus’ teaching, early Christians practiced Communion frequently, often at every gathering, sharing bread and wine. Acts says, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people” (Acts 2:46-47a). They met at the temple (church) daily, and whenever they gathered, they shared Communion meals.

Communion in the early church was more like a potluck. The intention was to share food at one table like a family. Those who could bring more food shared with those who couldn’t bring enough. However, this didn’t work well in the Corinthian church. Corinth was a highly developed industrial city with a large gap between the rich and the poor. While most people could bring food, some couldn’t afford enough. As a result, their potluck-style Communion didn’t follow Paul’s teaching. The church divided into two groups: those who could bring food and those who couldn’t. These groups didn’t eat together. Those who brought food ate first—some even became drunk before the service—while those who couldn’t bring food were left hungry, only smelling the food. Instead of fostering unity, as Holy Communion intended, the Corinthians faced division and conflict.

Therefore, the Apostle Paul reminded them of what Jesus taught through Communion. He said, “For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, he took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’”

Yes, if you lose your way, it’s best to return to where you started. Let’s go back to what Jesus taught us about Communion. The Holy Communion was an agape table where food was shared in love, in remembrance of what Jesus did for us. By partaking in one loaf of bread and one cup, symbolizing the one body of Christ, one church, one God, and one faith, we experience unity with our Lord Christ and with one another as a whole congregation—a family in Jesus Christ.

Most United Methodist churches use the term “Holy Communion.” The word “Communion” comes from “com” and “union,” meaning “being together” or “united with one another.” If you look up “Communion” in the Oxford Dictionary, you’ll find it defined as “the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.” This means that, as we receive and eat the bread (the body of Christ) and drink from the cup (the blood of Christ), “we are united with Jesus Christ.” Additionally, “we are united with one another” as we share one bread and one cup.

Therefore, we use the term “Holy Communion,” inviting everyone—regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, race, political stance, or any other barriers. The United Methodist Communion table is open to all, emphasizing unity in Christ.

The word “Communion” shares the same root as “community,” which means “Dining Table Community.” This is similar to the agape meal in the early Christian community, referring to a group of people coming together to share meals, symbolizing togetherness, sharing, and support. In some contexts, this also refers to social welfare organizations that provide meals to those in need.

The significance of Communion lies in offering ourselves in praise and thanksgiving, receiving the bread and cup, and uniting with Christ and one another in a mission to all nations. To share the bread (the body of Christ) with all nations and unite in Christ, we observe “World Communion Sunday.” This tradition began with the Presbyterians in 1936 and was adopted by the Methodists in the 1940s. On World Communion Sunday, we sample different kinds of bread, symbolizing our unity with brothers and sisters around the world who may be different from us. At the Lord’s table, we are all equal as His beloved people.

Remember His words: “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” His new covenant is for you, no matter who you are or what you have done in the past. What matters is that you are here with Him now. It is the new covenant in His blood, poured out for you. Thanks be to God. Amen!