Blogging Towards Sunday
January 13, 2008
The Last Supper, or Was It The First?
Change, the Democratic Primaries,
Judas & Trust vs. Mistrust

This coming Sunday in worship at our church we're reflecting upon 2 primary scriptures from the Bible as we continue our experiential and participatory sermon series on communion (inspired in part by the book The Meal Jesus Gave Us by amazing practicioner N.T. Wright).

John 15:1-17 (the impossible commandment that Jesus gives, love each other as he does in a self-affirming, life-giving, universe-altering crucifixion-bearing way.)

Luke 22:1-38 (the story of the Last Supper. It should have been a celebratory meal, like going to the pizza parlor with the team after a big win. Instead it was a meal that was marked by the various feelings, fears, hopes, and polarization of the 12 disciples: those that wanted to follow, those that wanted to force change, those unsure of what was going on, those along for the ride, the one willing to force the hand of Jesus to action by selling him out to his enemies. This community, challenged to live the impossible commandment, seems polarized and paralyzed by fear of the future and mistrust of each other.)

In the light of everything going on this week: emerging genocide and civil-war in Kenya, chaos in Pakistan, someone skipping the Bay Bridge toll booth 637 times, the fight by Democratic Presidential hopefuls over who can best bring change, what change is, and who represents it, and the drug use (supposed) story of Roger Clemens - I find myself meditating on these two scriptures so essential to the world-view formation of those that follow Jesus.

Jesus offers a meal - the last supper - which is actually the first re-interpretation of the Passover meal in light of his life, death and resurrection. The meal is the ultimate expression of open-table fellowship, community, life-sustaining transformation, trust, faith, peace - in brief what we seem to be calling "the politics of hope" these days. He offers it not to the old party faithful, but to his dearest friends, who've left everything to follow him physically, emotionally, politically and spiritually. In the group are many different responses to his teaching, approach, and political stance in ancient Israel. Some are content with it, others challenged by it, others wanting it to come about in a revolutionary or even violent-uprising way. But this passover, this last supper is different, it's the first meal in a new way of eating - of eating together purely for peace, being willing to give everything up - including life - to change the world. It's the ultimate meal of TRUST - in the giver of all, in the faithfulness of God, the power of grace over sin, and the potential of true community. This ultimate meal of trust is given freely to a community of friends polarized and paralyzed by mistrust of history, each other, their leader and even themselves.

Throughout the past days I've heard and read so much about the apathy, indifference and hopelessness of our country - whether it's people under or over 30 - from both genders - and across the racial/cultural spectrum. In general our nation community is plagued, polarized and paralyzed by mistrust - of our government, of each other, of the world, of our leaders, and even of the whole process. Who can best bring change? How can we best get that message out? Will our 2008 election end peacefully with nonviolent regime change, or will it result in ethnic strife like that between the Kikuyus and the Luos in Kenya needing some sort of a surge of strength to bring order from chaos? Can Obama, Hillary, Edwards, McCain, Romney, or even Huckabeee bring that peace, hope, trust that we need?

In the short run I'm still undecided between Hillary and being swayed by Obama's rhetoric. In the long run I have to affirm with the centuries of the church community of those who have followed Jesus before me - that only he can bring this hope and trust from chaos, bringing light from darkness, peace from paralysis and polarization.

When I celebrate communion that's in part what I experience and believe I'm participating in with those that also share that meal of bread and wine, a body broken for the world, a community (in physical proximity, global in nature and timeless in inclusion) that is called to do the same.

At our church we end our table celebration of communion each week with the following prayer - which sums it all up for me:

“As this bread is Christ’s body for us, let us be the Body of Christ for the World –

in our actions, words, presence and relationships,

starting here from the corner of MacArthur & Coolidge to the ends of the Earth.”

How is communion the first rather than the last supper for you?
How do you experience it as the giving of hope, peace and trust?
How do you participate in that passion for justice, community and shalom around the table and throughout the week?