Kookie Cut-Outs by Rachel Britz

Communion. The word in and of itself conjures up a series of personal images. Or, for some, maybe a gut feeling. When I think of Communion three thoughts come to mind. Food and wine, gathering together, and giving thanks. Did you know that Eucharist in Greek can be translated as “thanksgiving?” Today, on this day of Thanksgiving, I want to talk about Communion.

As a young child I was Catholic. I was Baptised, received First Communion, and was Confirmed. As a teenager my family converted to Baptist. I was Baptised, took Communion, and was saved. In college I attended the Covenant church. As a newlywed I was embraced by the United Methodist church. Throw in a couple non-denominational churches between the years. Today we worship with the Vineyard church. Basically to sum it up, I’m a religious mutt. The common thread however between all these Christian denominations is the act of Communion. Where theological differences and rules divide; Communion unites.

Recently I read the book “The Sacred Meal” by Nora Gallagher. At first glance, it appeared to carry some deep, thought provoking perspective into the practices and spirituality of Communion but I was sadly mistaken when the heart of the book was really just about the ritual and rights of passage. I would have enjoyed diving into a historical view of the subject but unfortunately this wasn’t the book to take me there. Gallagher however made a few profound statements concerning this sacred meal that we call Communion.

“We need concrete things that tie the ordinary to the extraordinary, like the long lines that tether a hot air balloon to the ground, to bring the kingdom of heaven near to us. The hope is that these rituals will not diminish the holy nor make it mundane but are set aside to keep it close.”

What if the Last Supper, our celebratory reason for Communion, was a lot like our Thanksgiving feasts? Preparations, gathering together, sharing food and wine, and hearts filled with gratitude for the blessings of today. Year after year, we uphold the tradition as an act of remembrance, as an act of gathering, as an act of sharing. Why? Because doing so bring us close to the ones we love and by doing so this gives us joy.

Communion is a matter of Thanksgiving. Its a matter of focusing on the blessings that have been given to us through Jesus. When it becomes anything less than that frame of mind, we’ve missed out. Several years back a Christmas campaign was launched. The tag line “Jesus is the reason for the season.” Pins, ornaments, decor’, and more all shouting a reminder to the world that the real reason for the season is Jesus. Communion deserves its own boost in the ratings. This year, as you gather together, weather it be to feast with family and friends or to unite with your church family in the divine act of Communion remember this…

“Holy Communion is a way of saying thanks. It points toward abundance.” ~Nora Gallagher

Welcome Back! If you’ve participated in this months book club read then I will be anxious to hear your own thoughts, feedback, and perspective. Seeing as how the premise of the book itself revolves around perspective it might be wise to expand on the personal reflection Andrew’s enticed throughout the read.

I found the book to be a very short, simple read. The main character Jones, not Mr. Jones, but just plain Jones was this harmonious blend of Gary Chapman meets Mr.Rogers. A life coach who kept hanging around the same neighborhood, dropping in on people who were in need of a fresh new perspective in their life.

I felt like I could empathize with the various characters who, after having been given their little truth filled wake up call by Jones, did not want him to leave. I consider the people who have popped into my life to inspire me, wake me up, and give me a new lease on life. Each and every time, I didn’t want them to leave or I didn’t want the experience to end.

I will admit that several scenarios that played out seemed to have a predictable quality to them. I’m not saying that I’m a know-it-all, my husband might disagree but well just keep this little secret between us, however for me this book presented a lot of trials and issues that I felt like I have traveled before.

There were however many Jones-ism’s that struck me and caused me to take notice and ponder them in my heart. I’d like to share the couple that stuck out the most.

About Wisdom
When Jones is asked how perspective relates to wisdom he responds by saying “One way to define wisdom is the ability to see, into the future, the consequences of your choices in the present…most people can tell the difference between good and bad however, it takes a truly wise person to discern that oh-so-thin line between good and best. And that line, my friends, is the line that separates a roll of the dice about your future, from a sure thing…from trying, as the Bible says, to ‘see through a dark glass’ and having a perspective that allows you to see clearly the long-term consequences of your choices.”

About Intentions
“Five seagulls are sitting on a dock. One of them decides to fly away. How many seagulls are left? There are still five. Deciding to fly away and actually flying away are two very different things. Despite popular belief to the contrary, there is absolutely no power in intention. The seagull may intend to fly away, may decide to do so, may talk with the other seagulls about how wonderful it is to fly, but until the seagull flaps his wings and takes to the air, he is still on the dock. There’s no difference between that gull and all the others. Likewise, there is no difference in the person who intends to do things differently and the one who never thinks about it in the first place.”

About Worry
“When doubts and fears assail us, we subconsciously calculate the possibilities. And soon, we are so paralyzed by the idea that disaster is imminent that we cannot function in our work-and even our relationships dissolve. We have imagined our way into self-destruction.” Reaching for his napkin, he wrote down “40%” “Forty percent of the things you worry about will never occur anyway and 30% of the things you worry about are the things that have already happened- in the past. Worry is focus! But it is focus on the wrong things. Now that you are equipped to calculate the odds from this point forward, you will focus on what can be controlled. After all, it is your own imagination with which you are doing battle!”

In closing, I would like to present a question The Noticer himself asked.
“What is it about me that other people would change if they could?”