This Is Jesus' Blood

We celebrated communion last night at our Modern Worship Service... It was a pretty normal experience for me - leading the prayers, breaking the bread, naming each person as they came forward to receive the body and blood of Christ. My family came toward the middle - all three of people I love most in the world. It wasn't Elie's first communion - I think maybe the second or third time she's received. We've always encouraged our kids to participate as fully as they are able to in worship (yeah, I probably get some flak about that - but this is one case where I'm glad that people would rather talk ABOUT me than TO me...heh). Often, because they're 3 and 6 (yep, Rachel's birthday was last Friday), I'm not sure they really pay much attention to what is going on.

But last night was something different for Elie. Three years old and taking on the world. She took her piece of bread, dipped it in the juice (JuicyJuice, of course) and took a small bite. She went back to Alyssa (who was our computer operator last night) and held out the bread and said, "This has Jesus' blood on it." Not horrified by the thought - she actually understood that it didn't really have blood on it - but that it was something really important, and that it was about Jesus and it was something that she wanted to share with somebody...

I am the luckiest man alive - don't think I don't know that. My girls teach me more about God and about how we should live out our faith that 40,000 days of purpose with Rick Warren ever could.

I'm stunned both by Elie's reception of communion with some understanding but also by her desire to share what she had - this is Jesus' blood... Think of the implications.

Yesterday I forgot to do something I had promised I would do - I was supposed to get some music to our assistant music director here at the church. When I saw her Sunday morning I cursed under my breath and then smiled and told her I would go get it, since I promised I'd have it there - EVEN THOUGH it would make me late for the Sunday school class I was teaching and EVEN THOUGH it is HER responsibility to get music for what she does and EVEN THOUGH I wanted to see my little girls off to their Sunday school classes...and I kind of marched out of the church and stormed into my house and got the music and took it to her and smiled and left it on the piano and went to teach Sunday school...

And now I realize - this is Jesus' blood... covering that whole thing...

I have a real bitterness thing going right now...this is Jesus' blood....

I still have some rage problems...this is Jesus' blood...

And a little child shall lead them...

Comments

Michael Airgood said…
I really should know not to read your blog in a public setting. I just cried in the library with at least 20 spectators. Hey, it happens.
5:44 PM
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