Dear Friends,

One of the joys of the last couple of months has been meeting with our Godly Play class to discuss the meaning of Holy Communion. Some of our children were preparing to receive communion for the first time, and this past Sunday, as they came to the altar to receive, the eagerness, and yes, joy, on their faces was palpable.  As I explain to adults, while very young children do not fully understand the meaning of communion, who among us as adults can claim that we fully do.

After one conversation that I had with them, Rachel Pfost asked a question always asked at Godly Play: “I wonder what part of what you heard is most important.” Young Selah Heim replied with one of the meanings of communion: “The bread and wine are most important, because they help me remember Jesus inside of me.”  And so they do. Communion helps us remember, not just a past event, but also to experience the presence of the living Christ in our midst.

The results of a recent study of Episcopal churches across the country indicated that “the transforming power of the Eucharist” was one of four elements in parish life that foster spiritual growth in congregations (the three others were engagement with scripture, a deeper prayer life, and the heart of the congregation’s leader.

I’m curious about what communion means to you. How have you been transformed by the weekly gathering at the altar? What is the most important part of the Eucharist for you?  I would love to publish some of your experiences with the sacrament central to our life together. Please send me an email if you have some reflections you are willing to share at:

rector@stjohns02129.org

None of us fully understands the meaning of this sacrament. But together, each of us can bear witness to the truth of its power in our lives.

Faithfully,

Tom

PS: for more information on the above mentioned congregational study, click here.