Sacrament

An act that imparts God’s grace, using visible means, connected with the Word of God, and commanded by Christ; for Lutherans, Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. (via Lutheran Basics for Teachers)

1 Corinthians 10:16

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?

Realizing God’s Kingdom in our Midst

The sacrament of the altar, unlike other gifts, is an unlimited resource for us to steward with a spirit of contrition, joy and hospitality. By means of contrast, consider social media and the role it plays in our culture. We “friend” or follow people whose general outlook on the world is most similar to our own, and when that buddy from high school whose political ideology is different from ours shows up on the screen, we all too often go after them, hammer and tongs, until eventually someone pulls the trigger and blocks the other: another futile argument, another wall created. This is not what Jesus had in mind for the church community. The church gathering around font, table and pulpit is a church seeking to live out the gift of grace by creating a community that mirrors God’s intentions for creation. We baptize, eat, drink and proclaim the Word in order to realize God’s kingdom already in our midst. Our human brokenness makes this task impossible in this lifetime, but the gift of forgiveness at the table sanctifies us for the task at hand and infuses joy into our lives. Perhaps this is why we call it a “foretaste of the feast to come.”

– Martin Zimmann, “The sacrament of the altar versus the sacrament of culture” in Living Lutheran (2017)                                                                     

Reflection & Prayer

As you prepare a meal today for yourself or those you live with, commit to praying for all those that will take part in the meal. Who else can you invite to the table in the future?