This Sunday, Covenant will observe World Communion Sunday. The first Sunday in October is a day set aside when Christians around the world gather at the table of the Lord, we call Holy Communion, to recognize our kinship with each other as brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.
The places we gather and the venues we gather in will be hugely diverse. Some will gather in huge cathedrals and large churches and some will gather in more modest church facilities like Covenant. Others will gather in open-country churches, some in mud-thatched sheds, yet others in lean-tos to celebrate together with others from around the world our kinship in Christ.
In America and many other places, we will gather in freedom, while many others around the world will gather in secret, to partake of the Lord’s Supper, for to worship as a Christian, in many places is a violation of law, punishable by imprisonment or even death. Yet the invitation of Jesus is “the table will be wide” with the hope that those who come will claim His promises of life abundant and life everlasting and will help proclaim the Good News of God’s unconditional love, forgiveness and acceptance to a hurting world.
Unfortunately, on this World Communion Sunday, there will be many barriers placed there by churches to keep many of God’s children away from the table, just as the disciples were doing to the children in the lectionary gospel this week from Mark 10.
Not so at Covenant! We recognize and try to live out the meaning of World Communion recognizing the kinship of all of God’s children every Sunday by removing all barriers at the Lord’s Table. My heart leaps for joy every time the celebrant says, “At Covenant we have an open communion. You don’t have to be a member of this church or any church. All we ask is that you come seeking a closer walk with God.”
We understand that Jesus’ intention around the communion table is that “the table will be wide” so that all of God’s children will be welcomed.
So join us for worship on this World Communion Sunday for “The Table Will Be Wide” enough and it includes a space just for you! My sermon topic of course will be “The Table Will Be Wide” and the sermon text will be Mark 10:13-16.
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