Love for the Eucharist

Do you see this man?  

He is one of the three 90 year old saints of our congregation.  His name is Kenny.  (He is holding Andrew who is three and who was just baptized today in worship!)  Kenny is married to the love of his life, Maxine, for 65 years.  In the past couple of years they have not been able to be in worship with the rest of the community of saints at TLC.  They miss us.  WE MISS THEM!  It's not the same without them.  It's not the same when anyone is missing from the fold!  So each week we are always incomplete in some way because each week someone is missing.  Some are sick, some can't drive anymore, some are busy, some may have forgotten that we are there.  But we are there and we continue to be there.  We come together to worship Christ and to receive God's bountiful gifts of love, grace and sacrament.

Today we went on a field trip.  Mobile Church!!  We went to him!  And to her!  And we brought the Eucharist.  The bread and the wine; the body and the blood of Christ, "Do this in remembrance of me."  Jesus was there. . . in the flesh and in the blood and in the mobile Church.

As I prepared the meal for Kenny and Maxine I told the 10+ kids who came along to look at them; really look at them.  "You see boys and girls, what we take for granted each week-- Holy Communion and coming to the Lord's table-- they yearn and hunger for!"  Look at them.  These two never missed church, not even when the fields had to be harvested!  (Well maybe once or twice  :))  Now they cannot make it to worship except very rarely when they are having a really good day.  Watch how they receive the gifts of God:  "This is my body given for you."  A tear runs down his cheek.  "This is my blood shed for you."  She bows her head in reverence and whispers, "Thank you."  Look at them; see how they respond to the Eucharist. See how they need Christ.  See how they hunger and thirst for Him.  See how they appreciate what He offers!

Learn from them to never take Christ for granted.  Learn from them what this Eucharist means.  Don't be cold to it.  Don't be indifferent to it.  It is a precious treasure, it is a gift from Christ. It will strengthen you.  It pronounces you FORGIVEN.  It binds you to the One who sacrificed himself for you.  It is Christ!  It is for YOU!  Amen.