facits of the Eucharist

November 22, 2008 at 5:45 am (Essentials Red Fall 08) (, , , , , , , , )

For the Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephens University.Essentials Red Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt

The Cross has been said to be the multi-faceted jewel that remains at the crux of all of Christan faith.  And in ignoring or over emphasizing even just one of these facets brings with it imbalance in our spiritual life and our community.  Likewise the Eucharist is a multifaceted jewel, and like the facets of the Cross, this jewel is best understood by examining the different aspects and perspectives that it emphasizes.

The Eucharist, ideally, should resonate with most (if not all) of specific instances it is used in the New Testament.  Dan Wilt puts it this way:

  1. Commemorates that God has acted as Savior to penetrate all of human history, from creation, through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, through our present, and to the final consummation (Acts 2:46-47).

  2. Reminds us that we are part of the Communion of saints in the family of God (1 Cor 10:16)

  3. Persuades us that a sacrifice has occurred to right the world (John 1:29)

  4. Speaks of the presence of Christ among us (John 6:51-58)

  5. Welcomes us to experience the work of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:13)

  6. Looks forward to the eschaton (1 Cor 11:26) (1)

Obviously we dont have a full understanding of everything the Last Supper entails and the full meaning.  It is by applying and utilizing these various ideas put forth in scripture about the Eucharist that can help to bring people along in maturity and to get busy “doing the stuff”.

When I first came across this list of scripture references of the Eucharist I was a bit taken back.  In my experience with Communion there has been an emphasis on roughly half of what this list speaks of.  It is no wonder often I have had trouble focusing on the one or two aspects of it that were being stressed.

By seeing the ordinance of Communion as part of our worship we are free to experience Christ among us, just as when we sing worship and praises.  Also as worship we focus on the Holy Spirit and experience his power and love.

There is also an eschatological dimension which, although expressed in the last scripture, permeates and penetrates all the others.  It is this awareness of the ‘already, but not yet’ of the Kingdom of God that explains to us how a holy God can take a part in our unholy lives.  Somehow we are made holy in the present, even though we still continue to sin.

All in all, it is by embracing the multi-faceted jewel of the Eucharist that we can best appreciate it’s beauty.  What would a jewel be without its facets?  When light passes through it is refracted it breaks up into a spectral display of color and beauty.  In the same way we can see different aspects of Gods attributes and worship him appropriately through the Eucharist.

1 Comment

  1. cornishevangelist said,

    November 22, 2008 at 6:54 pm

    For faith is believing in things that we cannot see. Now we must believe that what we have prayed for will soon manifest in our lives, for by faith we will truly receive.

    Yet some people say, “ but it’s not easy and you don’t know what I am going through,” well, that is true, but it still doesn’t change the fact that Jesus said, “ All things are possible to them that believe,” and we must live by faith.

    It is worth hoping and believing for things in our lives to change, it really does not matter what people say, or what we feel, for God said, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God”. {1 Corinthians 3 v 19}. cornishevangelist. wordpress.com.

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