For as long as I have seriously thought about Holy
Communion, I have thought about it as a mostly personal portion of the service.
The time leading up to Communion is probably the point in church when my focus
is most drawn within myself. I spend that time reevaluating my relationship
with God, recognizing how more often than not I have fallen short in many ways,
and remembering that through Christ and his loving sacrifice on the cross I am
offered forgiveness, hope, and a way to do better. Then, as I partake of
Communion, I marvel at so much love, grace, and mercy being offered by someone
so holy to someone as unholy as me.
That was the sum of my thoughts during Communion until two weeks ago.
Two weeks ago, I went away to the Franciscan Spiritual Center for three days to
dialogue with a small group of Christians from various theological and geographical
places about sexual diversity in the church. After hours of sharing stories,
thoughts, laughter, and tears with each other, we ended our last session with
Communion.
As our facilitator held the bread and the cup to pass around our
seated circle, she explained that before we passed the elements to the next
person we were to say a blessing we wished for them to receive when they
returned to everyday life. That one unfamiliar act she asked of us—to bless
each other as we passed the body and blood of Christ—opened my eyes to a side
of Communion I had never seen. Suddenly, Communion wasn’t simply about my
relationship with God, it was also about my relationships within the body of
Christ. Communion wasn’t simply a moment to consider how I could better reflect
Christ, it was also a moment to consider how I had seen Christ reflected in the
people around me.
As each person provided an intimate, unique blessing over their
neighbor, I felt a sense of deep connection like I had never experienced during
Communion. Here were thirteen people from different theological stances and
approaches putting those differences temporarily aside in order to love each
other, to love God together, and to jointly reconnect to that ultimate love
evidenced by Christ on the cross. Here were thirteen people recognizing God at
work in the people around them and praying that God would continue to pour into
them and fill their needs. Here were thirteen people truly reflecting the body
of Christ.
- Angelique Gravely
