Communion

Point to our singular and joint massiah whom we all have hope in together. We are unified and serve one another in rememberance of the same hope and singular Jesus. We each are disciples of this teacher who proved to be God himself making a way for us to fellowship with him

Names of: Communion, Eucharist, Lord’s supper

Communion from koinonia which can mean participation

16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation (koinonia) in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation (koinonia) in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

The early church valued this unity and singular participation to such an extent that across cities and across different gatherings of the church they would make one batch of bread and then proceed to break a piece off for each person then send a runner to share the same bread with the other churches thereby they would all commune from the same source. The same sustanance for one church is the same for the next and together we all as believers are united by the same source and part of one body

“The unity of the body of Christ was so important that it seemed that something was lost when in a single city there were several congregations. In order to preserve and symbolize the bond of unity, the custom arose in some places to send a piece of bread from the communion service in the bishop’s church—the “fragmentum”—to be added to the bread to be used in other churches in the same city.”

The unity of the body of Christ was so important that it seemed that something was lost when in a single city there were several congregations. In order to preserve and symbolize the bond of unity, the custom arose in some places to send a piece of bread from the communion service in the bishop’s church—the “fragmentum”—to be added to the bread to be used in other churches in the same city.

Eucharist from the greek word meaning to give thanks

28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

The breaking of the body of the only perfect being in existence for our imperfections, our own desires that pull us in the wrong direction, Our own decisions to sin and reject the God

Let the examining of ourselves dig us deeper into Christ and as James tells- testing or examining of your faith produce endurance

The Lord’s supper from the institution of the meal in the gospels by Jesus himself

Jesus gives us the example in four steps: taking, giving thanks, breaking, and giving

So to will we follow the same model tonight

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016),

Give thanks, pray for bread, and eat

Jesus himself tells us that this drinking of the wine is a foretaste () of heaven (visualize our end goal in this moment- the end of the race) when we will recline with Jesus in the restored heavens and earth under his perfect kingdom completely restored in perfection and we will drink the perfect wine with Jesus and reflect on his glory exhibited throughout the history of humanity

Visualize the end, close your eyes and visualize our hope, pray over new covenant and drink

Remember Christ, remember our hope, give thanks for his breaking of his body each time we examine ourselves, remember that we also are communing together in the same journey together with the same Lord and the same forgiveness and the same spirit and so we should remember that we are part of a body and not isolated