Acts 2.42 They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer……v46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.
There are certain things I am beginning to miss in this lockdown, and even though Zoom has become a good alternative, I really miss meeting together with other Christians to worship and listen to teaching. Another thing I’ve missed is breaking bread or having communion together. I’ve done that all through my life and now I’m having to do without it. We have had communion together at the Zoom prayer meeting, all with our separate glass of wine and bread,but I’m trying to find a way of having communion a little more often.
Di suggested we could share communion together at the end of each day. She was inspired by a talk from Beni Johnson some time ago, who talked about having communion daily with her husband Bill when he was very ill with cancer some years ago. So now Di and I have started breaking a little bread and taking one small sip of wine and remembering what Jesus has done for us on the cross. We take it in turns to read a little bit of the Easter story, thank him for the bread and the wine and what they represent, and then pray for protection and healing for our family, our church friends, and as many other people we feel inspired to mention.
I read in a recent post that an Anglican minister was doing communion each day in the church on behalf of his whole congregation. I think that was a nice gesture, but noticeable that people miss out on getting a piece of bread in their hands and wine or fruit juice on their lips to give them a tangible experience to help them remember the power of the cross and Jesus’ sacrifice. Could it be that what is happening, as we are not able to meet, is helping us form new practice and habits? We don’t need a leader or minister or priest to take bread for us but we can all have a go at taking a piece of bread and a little wine or juice and thanking Jesus for what he did in going to the cross, reading a little relevant scripture and then praying for people. I believe there could be a new release of healing power and protection over us.
So here is a suggestion. Why not start today, and in the evening get a little bit of bread and wine or fruit juice and then read 1 Corinthians 11.23-26 or a similar passage, give thanks and prayer for protection and healing for as many people as you feel you can. Try and think of someone on their own and have some bread and wine ready to do this togetherwith them. You could arrange a facetime, skype, zoom or phone call. In this way we will be fulfilling what the early, thriving church did…….
…..Acts 2.46 “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts”
