First Corinthians 11:17-34

Whew. The first part of 1 Cor. 11 about wore me out--so many hot button issues in that text.

The rest of 1 Cor. 11 deals with worship, specifically the Lord's Supper. For me, the Lord's Supper is the most beautiful and worshipful expression of Christ's sacrifice on the cross for me. I love the services when we celebrate his gift, and I take seriously the command to remember him when we do it.

I remember watching my dad take the Lord's Supper while I was still too young to understand all of it. Our church was very quite and dimly lit--a very focused environment. The deacons would serve the elements so quietly--and my dad would take the bread, cradle it in his huge hands, and pray. He prayed prayers of thanksgiving and praise, cherishing the bread the whole time. It is as close as anyone can be to actually feeling the body of Christ--at least in this life. He did the same with the cup. When I began to worship like my own father, I felt a great appreciation for Christ's sacrifice and a deeper understanding of the love he expressed on the cross.

So, when Paul accuses the Corinthians of getting drunk at the Lord's Supper, I can only imagine the misunderstanding--mostly linked to pagan worship and celebrations, something like Mardi Gras. Could you imagine combining the images and actions of Mardi Gras with the Lord's Supper? Paul couldn't, and told them that many had paid the price for their disrespect of the Lord's Supper (30).

Now, none of us are perfect, and our hearts need to be prepared when we enter into worship through the Lord's Supper. It is as close as we can come to touching the body of Christ--wouldn't you at least wash your hands, or spiritually speaking--your heart, first?