My Pastor had me speak on what the Lord's Supper means to me. Three minutes though isn't enough time for one like me and I promised I would write something on it. Something more so here it is.

The first thing I would like to say is that the table is a table of unity. There are many different beliefs within orthodox Christianity even but at the Lord's Supper we are all united for instance. The body itself is united and all of history is united. What do I mean by these points?

Let us start with the beliefs unity. Jonathan Edwards said that we should hold to this. "In Essentials, Unity, in non-essentials, liberty, in all things, charity. The table is where the Calvinist and the Arminian come together. Where the Anglican and the Church of Christ member unite. Where the Methodist and Baptist (SHOCK!) come together. Pre-tribbers and post-tribbers meet. Charismatics and non-charismatics come together. Apologists and evangelists unite. All come together for the unity.

This is the unity Christ pointed to. He would desire that we all be one just as he and the Father are one. The perfect relationship within the Trinity Christ would desire for each of us to have. The Lord's Supper is a chance for us to unite.

The unity of the body is also there. You eat of the bread and drink of the wine. (Or juice in most churches.) You smell them. You hear the voice of the Pastor. You touch the bread and you see all of the actions. All of the body is united for worship at the Lord's Supper.

And finally, on unity, the unity of history. Christ emphasizes each point of time. Fiddler on the Roof for instance had the Hebrew view. "Don't ask me why. Tradition! Tradition! Tradition!" The Hebrew looked to the past. The Marxist view is the Utopian. They looked to the future for the perfect society. The Existentialist holds to "Eat, Drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die." They live for the moment. The Bible  says, "Take eat, as oft as you do this (present) you remember the Lord's death (past) until he comes in the future (Future). Every moment is fused with meaning.

The next point is acceptance. This is probably one of the greatest ones. Christ invites all to come to the table. He accepts you just as you are. This doesn't mean he doesn't want to change you. He certainly does but he accepts you. Can a woman forget the child she nursed, the fruit of her womb? Even if she could I won't forget you! (Isaiah 49:15) What more could I do for you than I have not already done? (Isaiah 5:4) He showed what more he could do on the cross.

You're not worthy? That's right. No one is worthy at this table but all can come. You don't deserve it? That's right. No one does but you can come. You have too many sins and fallacies in your life? That's right. We all do. But we can still come. The person who would disagree with any of those points would be the one who really needs this table the most. Christ loves you and wants to accept you as you are. He will still be God even if you don't come. God needs you for nothing. You are the beneficiary. He offers all the joys of this life and the next one as well to those who come.

Which brings me to the last point. Pleasure. In Exodus 24:11 we read that they saw God, and they ate and drank. Is this a shock? It was to me when I read it but I remembered nothing is more natural at the throne of God than pleasure. God is the most pleasurable being in the universe. We should take delight in him and the Lord's Supper reminds us of the joy of God in that we feast in his presence.

What can remind us of what this means to us? Numbers 33 has a good example. The journeys of the Israelites are recorded with three notes. The first is that they had no water at one point. They remembered their hardships. The second was the death of Aaron. They remembered their high priest who died. (That's Christ for us as we remember his death.) Next was a Canaanite king preparing for battle. They remembered the battles ahead. We need to do the same.

Come to this table. Don't take it lightly but come. He loves you. He died for you. He accepts you as you are and wants to make you better than you are. Come. Eat. Drink. Be truly merry.