A different mood...

This past week...i had one of those strange experiences one that illuminates something special. This week my baptist church had communion, we do it every 4 weeks. I think the odd thing was the mood sort of depressing. As we took the wine and the bread, everyone was told to look inside themselves and remember what Jesus did for them. I think it was odd that basically everyone was told to feel ashamed and grateful for what Jesus had done. I think this is odd or maybe it is a result of a misunderstanding of a word. Often times remembering is seen as looking in our individual self and feel repetitive.

While, i don't think that in itself is wrong, but it turns communion about us, not about Jesus or what Jesus is inviting us to. I feel the root of the baptist form of communion springs from the most problematic nature of Paul’s Eucharist discourse in 1 Corinthians is the Greek word anamnesis. While anamnesis in verse 25 renders “remembrance”, the true meaning behind the word is lost due to the difference behind the English and Jewish meaning of the word. In the twentieth century, “remembering is a solitary expierence involving mental recalling. However, for ancient Jews and early Christians remembrance was a corporate act in which the event remembering through ritual repetition. To remember was to do something, not to think about something.” This fundamental difference gives insight into the ‘do’ nature of Jesus and the early Christians. Modern Christians enjoy the discussion and contemplation too much. Therefore missing out in the Eucharist involvement in of a person’s entire being. So an over individualizing of what taking part of the communion means for the early church distorts the fullness of communion.

In the past year, i have been at odds with the typical protestant version of communion. But, i feel that this past week, this idea of be depressed/ feel bad about yourself during communion should be more celebratory, not you feeling bad, should we be happy that we have part in this life with Jesus and what the blood and the wine transforms us not to think but to act. But, later that Sunday I went to a unique kindof Anglican church, St. Benidicts Table(http://www.stbenedictstable.ca/">http://www.stbenedictstable.ca/). I think i've been desiring to go to St. Benedicts for the last six months, so i was really anticipating going. I would say it is everything i had hoped it would be particulary the communion element of the service. I got a sense that I was celebrating with people not condeming people.  I wonder what the different messages about communion/eucharist is the wine and the bread a call to repentence or celebration. I question if people in the early church would have meet daily to condem and remember there sins or rather celebrate the life Jesus gives us through the blood and the wine...just some thoughts...a rant that i am sure will continue over my life. But, I feel that to feel sad during communion is at odds with the message i see in the Gospel and New Testament.