Dear Family at Christ Community,

This Sunday we will listen to a conversation Jesus had with John and the other Apostles on the way to Jerusalem and the Cross. The Apostles’ failure to cast out the demon from the young boy was still fresh in their minds (Mark 9:14-29). They then found themselves further decentered by the stunning success of an unnamed exorcist casting out demons in Jesus’s name and they tried to stop him “because he was not following us” (9:38). Their divisive attempt to stop this man prompts Jesus to teach them about the nature of our union with and unity in Christ alone. It is this union and unity that we get to taste and see every time Jesus invites us to feast at His Table. Along these lines, ponder the Apostle Paul’s words on the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 10:16-17:

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

Do you see what Paul is saying? The Lord’s Supper displays the deepest and fullest unity imaginable: the unity we have with one another in union with Christ! As you prepare for the Lord’s Supper this week, reflect upon your awareness of and participation in the unity we have in Christ.

In particular, consider how the Lord’s Supper can nourish our fellowship as we live life together in Christ. This is not an abstract question. It’s all about the ways we live our life together as the people of God united in Christ. For example, if life’s been super busy, consider if there’s someone you should check on. Or, if life’s been hard, consider who you can ask for prayer and encouragement. However things have been going, give thanks that Jesus has welcomed you and united you to God’s people. Let’s come to the Table prepared to be nourished by the Lord Jesus and eager to feast together, all so that we might be renewed in our union with Christ and unity with one another!

Yours in union with Christ,
Matt