Monday, 02 November 2009
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Solo(r) Cups for Communion
Clear plastic Solo(r) cups are ubiquitous. Common. Nothing special about a clear, plastic cup.
Juice is also not that special. Expressed from the crushing of grapes.
But if in the right context, it is special.
Every Sunday morning, we celebrate the Mystery of the Ordinance of Communion or the Lord's Supper, at Grace - we stop and we obey our Master's teaching: "...do this in remembrance of me." (Lk 22)
But this past Sunday, we couldn't find the really special, priceless, not-found-anywhere-else, hand-made-with-love communion cups we normally use - expertly created by our dear friend (and former member) Janelle McGuire. We had to use something. Anything would do, really - so we used clear, plastic cups.
I didn't see the majesty in it until Rick talked about it.
It is not the vessel that holds the element that matters - and the juice is not anymore important (my apologies to my transubstantiation friends). It is the glory of Master - and the remembrance of what he's done for us.
And I'm glad that he's chosen normal, average, ubiquitous things, to transport that which is holy and lovely to Him. For the Believer, it is precious because of the symbol it represents: I am - and always will be - loved and cherished by my Father!
And I think of another scripture:6For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Cor. 4:6-7)
For those of us at Grace - really, every Believer - we make no small boast in this. God has called us to bear the Light of Truth and Grace to the world - and we marvel that he's chosen to use "jars of clay" - fragile, ubiquitous, average vessels - to display his all-surpassing power.
I want to keep our beautiful communion cups.
But I'm glad for the reminder that God's chose to use average stuff to display his glory.
And who is equal to such a task? (2 Cor. 2:16)
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Comments (2)
hey sean,
i love this post!! this reminds me of the verses in 1 corinthians where paul talks about the foolish things of god being wiser than the wisest things and just a reminder that god enables the lowly of the world to boast over the "better things" of the world. great post!! loved the transubstantiation comment! thanks for the awesome reminder! i miss you man! if you're ever in this area visiting family or if i can ever get out west, i will come see all you guys at grace. I miss you all!! much love my friend!dane
Hey, its me your poetic friend from Clinton, MO. I liked this alot.
In my church we have the small plastic and apparently disposable communion cups.
You know we've know each other for about 19 years. Back when we met could either of us imagined that God could take this lonely insecure woman and use her to bring glory to him with ordinary words?
Mary