Holy Communion


by Clark Nelson - Date: 2006-12-20 - Word Count: 632 Share This!

I am standing in front of a small congregation. I gaze upon the crowd in earnest with my back to the altar. One side of a low Communion rail is behind me. I prefer to dispense sacraments at the short communion table immediately to my left side. Eight people are usually in each group that comes forward to take our Communion. They proceed to kneel at the short, narrow table. I recite the same words to each group, the same way every time. I grow weary of the monotony. My commitment to "perform the Lord's will," especially for this service, far outweighs my personal discomfort. "I am willing to do it with my last breath if need be."

The table is on the left side of the sanctuary. A six-foot opening between the two identical halves of the communion rail gives me a path to the altar. After saying my first recitation to the kneeling group (in some language other than English), I take a few steps toward the rail opening. I pass the rail on my left side and the table with congregants facing me on my right. I turn left, take one-step up and move through the opening. I make another left to reach the chest where I keep our sacraments. We keep tradition by using real wine and unleavened bread. The chest of drawers that stores the wine and wafers is tall for me. I stand too short to place the tray on top and prepare the wine and wafers easily. "I should look for something else. The last preacher (or priest) was taller and had no trouble." Very carefully, I slide the tray off and return to the group.

I begin to serve the group wine and wafers. I feel a bit guilty since I only make one trip and distribute everything all at once. We do follow procedure, drinking the symbolic Lord's blood, followed by recitation and finally eating wafers with recitation again. The first person I serve is a young adult girl. I am amused at myself for thinking she is pretty. I think, "An old man my size still with a spark of youth in his veins...the Lord is generous." I know, "She has a boyfriend though he has never joined her here." I worry about his faith. Her parents are next. They are nice people. The next couple I have talked with several times. The remaining ones, "I may have seen before. Unsure, I plan to visit with them after service." I said another short recitation that deals with flesh. We then took part in breaking the bread and body of the Lord.

The dream ended here. I awoke knowing the next few moments would include the last recitation, dismissal and the next group will come forward. An unsurpassed clarity of thought persisted throughout this sequence. Possibly, the leader's unwavering attention and practiced routine affected my awareness. His level of devotion was an influence too. There was no other sound besides his voice. All walking motions were very smooth. I did not have any sensations associated with walking. I felt as if I were riding, floating like a balloon swept through the air. Holy Communion beckons the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I get to ride along as an observer. These are the benefits of doing calendar research.

Are you a pastor, educator or a student of the Holy Bible? Timeemits.com seeks anointed people to review and contribute to the Ages of Adam ministry. Ancient lunar/solar calendars like the Jewish and Mayan calendars provide the background to understanding early time. Ancient calendars of the Holy Bible use differences between the moon and sun, numerical matching and a 364-day calendar year to describe X-number of days that match with X-number of years. Ages of Adam is a free read at http://www.timeemit


Related Tags: body, service, wine, lord, blood, bread, communion, timeemits, wafer, preacher, calendar

Clark Nelson is webmaster for http://www.timeemits.com and author of Ages of Adam and sequel, Holy of Holies. Contact article@timeemits.com for more information. © Copyright 2006 Clark Nelson and timeemits.com All Rights Reserved.

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