1 Corinthians 11:29-32<\/p>\n
For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined\u00a0so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n We should not take the Lord’s Supper lightly. There is nothing magical about it; magic is not part of the Christian faith. But there is something deeply symbolic and experiential about it. It draws us closer to God and to others. If we treat the eating of the bread and drinking of the juice like we would eating a Big Mac, we miss the power this event can have in our lives. I will admit that there are times when my mind is not engaged emotionally very well. But just the act draws my mind back to the reality of the cross and what it has done for me. Those who lead in the Lord’s Supper should work hard in creating a good atmosphere for the people. Based on this passage, people over the ages have feared that something bad would happen to them if they were somehow unworthy to receive the body and blood of Jesus. Based on the context, Paul is more concerned about the community and fellowship within the church. If any of the three elements in yesterday’s blog are missing or distorted, the other two will suffer. We must look within ourselves, then to God, and finally to others.<\/p>\n