“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you,
that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,
and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said,
’This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying,
’This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
— 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

CONSIDERING THE EUCHARIST

As a local body over the past two months, we have received a lot of teaching and Biblical engagement regarding God's concept of covenant, blood, sacrifice, remembering, Passover, cleansing, oneness, faithfulness and the love of Christ. Together, we are walking toward shifting our embodying remembrance of the death of Christ through the Eucharist from irregular Sunday morning engagements with this sacrament to a weekly embodying remembrance of the broken body and poured out blood of Jesus.

This is a shift from our normal liturgical flow and we are deeply honored to receive this leading from the Lord toward this sacrament of covenant and sacrifice on a regular basis.

As Cornerstone continues to become a rooted church, the Eucharist becoming a consistent centerpiece for our weekly corporate gathering is vitally important. The Lord's Table is the culmination of brokenness and healing through the embodied remembrance of our everlasting covenant with God through the cross of Christ.

You, as Covenant Members, are invited to engage this shift with your minds and hearts, taking time to purposefully reflect on your personal and corporate engagement in this change.

Please set aside some time and consider with God the following questions. We encourage you to prayerfully journal your thoughts. As you are led or find need, please feel free to engage a pastoral staff member or elder with your considerations and reflections.

If you have missed any of the Sunday morning teachings over the last two months, it will be important for you to listen (or review) those for fullness of perspective regarding where we are headed.

QUESTIONS

  1. What is the tradition of your spiritual heritage regarding the Eucharist?
     
  2. Why did/does your spiritual heritage remember the Eucharist in that way?
     
  3. How did/does the Eucharistic tradition of your spiritual heritage align with Scriptural teaching regarding God's heart for how we remember the Eucharist?
     
  4. How did/does the Eucharistic tradition of your spiritual heritage compare to the ways in which the early church celebrated the Eucharist?
     
  5. As we move to taking the Eucharist weekly, what are your feelings regarding that shift?
     
  6. As we move to taking the Eucharist weekly, what are your concerns in that regard?
     
  7. As we move to taking the Eucharist weekly, what are your joys in that regard?
     
  8. When you consider the Eucharistic Myths (March 06, 2016 || Jay), which of those feel familiar? What are your fears about breaking away from those myths?
     
    1. Calling it "Eucharist" means we're Catholic.
    2. We should be afraid of or resentful toward Catholics.
    3. Sharing communion every week means we're Catholic.
    4. You have 60-90 seconds to "make things right".
    5. You are either worthy or unworthy.
    6. The sermon is the center, communion is a tag-on that frequency makes old.
    7. If you're a current sinner, don't partake 'cause then you might die.
Because there is one bread, our many-ness becomes one-ness—Christ doesn’t become fragmented in us. Rather, we become unified in Him. We don’t reduce Christ to what we are; He raises us to what He is. [Eugene Peterson]