Today is Maundy Thursday. Maundy is a latin word which means “command.” On this day of Holy Week, Jesus commanded us to “wash one another’s feet” to “Love one another as I have loved you” and to take Christ’s body and blood in remembrance of Him. These are the pillars of our church community.
Tonight I will talk about Christ’s presence in communion. We believe that communion is not merely symbolic but that Christ’s body and blood are present in with and under the bread and the wine. It is interesting to me that the churches that believe in real presence seem to take communion more seriously. They take it more often and confession of sins is a part of it. The churches that don’t believe in real presence, the ones that believe that it is merely a symbolic ceremony tend to participate in it less. Eventually it becomes like foot washing in our culture, an archaic object lesson.
One of the blessings of the Lutheran church Missouri Synod is that we firmly teach and confess that Jesus is present in communion. Then we regularly receive him in worship. This should encourage us to love one another as he has loved us. Just like he commanded.
