Midweek Sermon Series = Preparing for Holy Communion "Incredulity" is the best word I could think of, even though it is totally inadequate.
The First Midweek Service in Advent Perhaps Some Incredulity? Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! In tonight’s reading, Mary’s cousin Elizabeth expresses amazement and incredulity that the mother of her heaven-sent Lord and Christ should arrive for a visit. “Why is this granted to me,” Elizabeth asks, “that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Dear Christian friends, Some years ago, when our congregation began its now-beloved practice of every-Sunday communion, not everyone liked the idea. One of my colleagues, a dear brother in this circuit, was especially bothered by our supposed innovation. This pastor’s chief argument against weekly communion was that God’s people would not take the time properly to prepare for the miraculous feast God has given. Back in the days when our parents and grandparents communed four times a year—or more recently, once per month—Holy Communion was a big event. Careful preparation went into it. Christians examined their lives and announced their intentions to the pastor the night before the Sacrament was served. If you serve communion every Sunday, my colleague argued, then your Christians will grow lazy. Your Christians will loosen their preparations and approach the holy altar of our Lord as casually and blithely as they approach the local restaurant buffet. My colleague was right. Even without asking how you yourself might prepare or fail to prepare for Holy Communion, I know my colleague was right. Christians grow lazy almost as quickly as their pastors do. When God’s gifts are abundant among us, it usually does not take long for us to grow bloated and insensible, both to the gift and to our ongoing need for it. If you doubt this is true, just ask the ancient Israelites. My colleague’s proposed solution to our insensitivity and ungratefulness was to withhold the gift. Do not commune every Sunday. Prevent the people from receiving the gift for a while, so that they will more fully appreciate the gift when it is finally given. While my colleague’s approach might solve the problem of an overfed attitude, it seems unsafe. Inasmuch as much as your communion is a gift from above, God also tells you that every breath you inhale into your lungs is likewise a divine gift (Job 33:4, Isaiah 42:5, Acts 17:25). Shall I periodically squeeze your throat so that you may appreciate breathing all the more when I relax my hand? Rather than avoiding God’s gift for appreciation purposes, it might be wiser for us to devote our lives to receiving God’s gift rightly—not matter how often the gift might be available to us. Holy Communion IS a big event, and it should be treated as such. Every-Sunday communion requires every-Sunday preparation. Hardly anyone in the Bible can give you with a better example for communion preparation than Elizabeth. When Mary arrived for a visit, Elizabeth gaped with wonder and awe, “Why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Elizabeth was not expressing doubt or unbelief with this question. She was expressing pious incredulity—that is, awe amazement that boggled her mind. Then Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months. Think about the happiness you feel when your loved ones arrive for a visit and first get out of the car. Hugs, laughter, maybe some tears. During a three-month visit, the emotion of that first moment starts to fade. Yet Elizabeth was not rejoicing because she rarely saw Mary. Elizabeth was rejoicing because the Incarnate God Himself—fully human and fully divine—the Incarnate God Himself had drawn near to her. Fully human and fully divine, God was now wrapped in something Elizabeth could see: the Virgin Mary. Stated in more familiar terms, the body and blood of our Lord were now in, with and under the body of His Mother. Even after the giddiness of reunion had passed, while Mary was simply living day-to-day in Elizabeth’s house, it is not too difficult to think that Elizabeth often repeated that same question under her breath: “Why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” A similar question will help us with our every-Sunday communion preparation. Like Elizabeth, you and I could rightly ask, in nearly the same words, “Why is this granted to me, that the bread and wine of my Lord should come to me?” Every Sunday, not matter what emotions you may or may not feel as you approach the altar, the question may remain: “Why is this granted to me, that the bread and wine of my Lord should come to me?” After all, what really is the difference between a) Mary in that prenatal moment and b) the bread and wine of Holy Communion? · In both cases, God Himself draws near, both in Mary’s womb and in bread and wine. · In both cases, forgiveness is at hand. As the angel of the LORD had earlier said to Joseph, Mary’s unborn child “will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). In Holy Communion, forgiveness again draws near to you. The only difference is that, in Holy Communion, forgiveness draws near to you as an accomplished and completed act, while the embodiment of forgiveness yet-to-be-earned grew in Mary’s womb as she drew near to Elizabeth. · In both cases, the people of God have reason ponder, “Why is this granted to me?” Elizabeth could find nothing in herself that would prompt such a wonderful and awe-inspiring gift on her doorstep. You and I won’t find anything in ourselves, either. Elizabeth had it right: God’s presence among us in Holy Communion is GRANTED to us; given as a gift and not to be despised. The elders of the congregation periodically with me discuss ways that we can add artwork to our sanctuary. We are not interested in hanging art for the sake of art, and we certainly do not want to open a can of worms. (Such discussions inevitably raise emotions.) We are simply searching for careful designs that will help God’s Christians in their worship. It would be particularly helpful if we had artwork that helps people to understand the gravity of our worship and the enormity of the gifts that God dispenses here. Perhaps this congregation should consider commissioning a professional artist, if the budget could handle it. Elizabeth seems like a good candidate for a permanent place on our walls, especially if we could depict her in that moment of pious and thankful incredulity when she asks the question that should be on all our lips all the time, and especially when we come to Holy Communion: “Why is this granted to me?” Why is the gift of Holy Communion granted to us, as similar joy was likewise granted to Elizabeth? Mary gives us the answer in her song of praise. The divine goodness shown to Elizabeth and the divine goodness shown to you and to me is the same as the divine goodness likewise shown to Mary. As we may ask with Elizabeth, so also may we sing with Mary: “He who is mighty has done great things for me; and holy is His name.” The peace of God which passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen. _______________________________________________ Sermons mailing list Sermons@cat41.org http://cat41.org/mailman/listinfo/sermons
