Since the beginning of the Christian faith, the Church has gathered to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. In that meal, we remember the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. We offer thanks for the grace that we have received, and we celebrate our unity as God’s children.
In the 1930s, Rev. Dr. Hugh Thompson Kerr was pastor of Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. Lamenting the great divisions within the Christian community, he proposed establishing an annual celebration of Holy Communion as an encouragement to cooperation among Christians. In 1936, the Presbyterian Church (US) adopted this celebration denomination-wide, and World Communion Sunday was established on the first Sunday of October.
At the time, Presbyterians invited other denominations to share in World Communion Sunday. However, churches were reluctant to join. It wasn’t until World War II that many saw the need to come together in a world being torn apart. Today, many Christian denominations world-wide celebrate World Communion Sunday including Ardmore Presbyterian Church.
For the past several weeks, we have emphasized that our congregation is a worshipping community. More than that, we have declared that worship can be transformational. God can use our practices of worship to change us for the better. Communion is a reminder that we don’t do this by ourselves. The Christian faith has never been about sitting alone in the corner having spiritual thoughts.
Back in the New Testament, the church in Corinth had forgotten this truth. Paul noted that when they gathered for communion, “one goes hungry and another becomes drunk” (1 Corinthians 11:21). Rather than sharing a meal together, the Corinthian church treated communion as a free-for-all. Members grabbed what they could, and some were left out.
God’s vision is bigger than that. We have a responsibility to one another. We bring our best, and we encourage others to bring their best to God. We volunteer in the church’s ministries in order to help the entire community. Our choirs, Sunday School program, and even Saturday Shine-up help us serve everyone who wants to experience the transformation found in Jesus Christ. Yes, we dedicate even our monetary gifts to this purpose. Think of our annual stewardship drive as a pot luck dinner in which our offerings are given to God. Those moneys ensure that the congregation and beyond are spiritually fed.
My prayer for this World Communion Sunday is that our connections to God and to each other are strengthened. As we break the bread and share the cup, may our lives be a demonstration of our unity in Jesus Christ.
Grace and Peace,
James Hodsden
Pastor 139 