loved

Tuesday March 26^th, Luke 22: ¹⁴ When it was time, he sat down, all the apostles with him, ¹⁵ and said, "You've no idea how much I have looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you before I enter my time of suffering. ¹⁶ It's the last one I'll eat until we all eat it together in the kingdom of God."¹⁷ Taking the cup, he blessed it, then said, "Take this and pass it among you. ¹⁸ As for me, I'll not drink wine again until the kingdom of God arrives."¹⁹ Taking bread, he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, given for you. Eat it in my memory."²⁰ He did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you.  The Passover, the celebration of freedom is the root of our communion service.  It celebrates the freedom Christ brings from all that enslaves you, from all that holds you back and makes you afraid.  Freedom from sin, both those committed and those many that fall under the heading of things left undone.  The bread is not magic, the wine is not magic, the ceremony is not magic, and their power comes when we realize that it is the sharing of them with God and with one another that is relational, that is the power of the Body of Christ.  Do this in remembrance of me, and when we remember in that way, it is not just thinking of the good old days, it is bringing love to life, to our life.  It is remembering the way Jesus turned to the thief on the cross who asked to be remembered, and Jesus responded that on that day he would be with him in paradise.  It is a remembering that it is a call to action.  When we gather for communion, God is there with us.  When we eat out in a restaurant with friends and family, God is there with us also.  When we gather around the table at home with family, God is with us.  In each setting we are called into a relationship with God who is present with us.  In each setting we are called into a relationship with those who are present with us.  Most importantly, through the miracle of God’s presence, in each setting we are called into relationship with those who are not with us and we are called into action as a child of God in this world to love one another as Jesus loved us.  It is less a celebration of freedom from as it is a celebration of freedom for.