*Buenos Dias, Iglesia! Este es el dia que ha hecho el Señor. Nos gozamos y alegramos en el.
Pore so yo me alegré con los que me decian a la casa de Jehová iremos.
Good Morning, Church! This is the day the Lord has made AND I REJOICE and I AM glad in it with those who said unto me let us go up to the house of the Lord.
*In case you haven’t noticed – though a little difficult to ignore – TODAY, our sanctuary looks a little . . . different, colorful, busy, BUT this is intentionally.
That is because, TODAY we are celebrating, along with the worldwide Christian community, what has been known for about 93 years as World Communion Sunday.
*BUT, before we go any further, Let’s pray:
Holy Spirit, thou art welcomed into this place.
Open our eyes to see. Open our ears to hear,
Our minds to understand,
And warm our hearts to believe.
Now, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts
be pleasing in your sight,
oh Lord, our Rock, and our Redeemer. AMEN.
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*World Communion Sunday symbolizes the effort to hold things together, spiritually speaking. It emphasizes that we are one in the Spirit and in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
It is a reminder that as we hold tight to our journey in Christ, the world does change.
- In October 1933, an Anti-war treaty of non-aggression and conciliation was signed in Rio de Janeiro.
- At the same time, Hitler announced Germany’s withdraw from the League of Nations, but no one did anything about it.
- Meanwhile, same month and same year, we are celebrating on this side of the world as The New York Giants won the 1933 World Series.
- And, it was during the same month and the same year that a Presbyterian minister - Rev. Hugh Kerr – seeing the fragmentation of the world and of the Christian church, started the practice of promoting Christian UNITY and mutual COOPERATION through the observance of the sacrament of the Eucharist, a.k.a. as Holy Communion.
Rev. Kerr dreamed of bringing churches together to lift up the global Church and to remember that we are connected to a larger community around the world; One congregation connected to every other congregation, united in
“one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5). [1]
After the First World War churches struggled to respond to the devastation of humanitarian and theological crisis bringing more division, separation, hate, racism, discrimination, genocides, etc. ,* forgetting its purpose, making disciples, preaching, teaching, loving, healing, liberating, etc.
When we don’t stop to remember, think and consider our purpose & meaning, it is like staring at an empty wall on which anyone can come to scribble and we can’t tell the difference.
- * Some years back I read this story about a congregation, somewhere, which, every time they were going to sing the Gloria Patri (you know: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost . . .) they would stand and turn towards the right . . . a plain white wall.
A visitor found this odd and started asking around about it, because it did not make any sense to him.
Finally, he was able to find someone who knew how that tradition started.
It turned out that the words for the Gloria Patri were, once, painted on the right wall. So, everyone would stand and turn towards the wall to read the words of the anthem. With time, people have learned the words, the words faded, the wall was painted covering the words, but people kept turning towards the wall.
Wars are stupid and unreasonable, making people and leadership do senseless things.
During wars, sadly, it is the most vulnerable the ones who suffer while the powerful play with humanity’s sake.
*There is a book entitled Sleeping With Bread, (writtenby Dennis, Sheila, and Matthew Linn) that tells this story,
“During the bombing raids of World War II, thousands of children were orphaned and left to starve. The fortunate ones were rescued and placed in refugee camps where they received food and good care.
But, understandably, many of these children who had lost so much could not sleep at night.
They feared waking up to find themselves once again homeless and without food.
Sadly, nothing seemed to reassure them.
Until someone came up with the idea of giving each child a piece of bread to hold at bedtime. By holding their bread, these children were finally able to sleep in peace.
All through the night the bread reminded them, “Today I ate and I will eat again tomorrow.”[2]
Through the words of the prophet Jeremiah, we hear God telling his people (my paraphrasis) * YES, I know the plans I have for you. I very well know what you are going through, BUT follow my lead: Bless your neighbor, plant, built, focus, BLESS, BLESS, BLESS,
* and when you call me, you will find me, and I will hear; I will come, and I will restore. (Jer. 29).
God restores. Perhaps not the way we want, but certainly a way in which we will serve God’s purpose, to bless others, to be a blessing through our blessing.
The disciples said, Teach us to pray. And, Jesus taught them, Give us TODAY our DAILY bread. GOD ALWAYS MAKES A WAY. GOD ALWAYS PROVIDES.
- God gave bread to the people of Israel in the middle of the desert, MANNA/Quails
- When a great famine was quickly approaching, God warned Egypt through dreams to pharaoh and Joseph’s interpretation and wisdom.
- During Israel’s exile, God gave them 1st warnings and later instructions of what to do, bless your neighbor, love your enemy, forgive, worship the Lord your God who has led you and kept you.
- Jesus fed the 5,000
- Jesus fed the 3,000
* God always made a way to teach, guide and bless. So, it was when the church was birthed at Pentecost, the first three things they did was:
- teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ
- Get organized appointing deacons to serve (they got busy)
- Distribute food (they blessed)
Today, through the sacrament of Holy Communion, we not only remember the sacrifice of Jesus the Christ, but we ALSO remember that we are ONE in the Unity of heaven.
As we come to the Table of the Bread and the Fruit of the Vine, we remember that,
- It makes us one;
- We are ALL welcomed;
- We receive spiritual and emotional sustenance for the journey that lies ahead.
SO, AS YOU GO TO SHARE CHRIST, Don’t just offered the bread, share the WINE.
Journey with them.
[1] https://catonsvillepres.org/news/what-is-world-communion-sunday-pcusa/