TEOTWAWKI. Apocalypse, Gathering

Given the massive strife here in the US, and the evil blossoming from the Middle East, and all the dystopia and apocalyptic shows and movies, I sometimes wonder. I’m not so concerned about the apocalypse, but TEOTWAWKI, The End Of The World As We Know It. 

Will Europe still be Europeans, will we have anything even close to privacy with all the government and corporate surveillance, will the hatred exhibited by Black movements (Black Lives Matter, New Black Panthers, Black Panthers), White Supremacy and the racist clash between the two result in a race war?

The meme for Comic Book based TV shows. I’d hate to live in the DC world. Good guys teaming up and arguing with each other, blaming themselves for things they have no control over, bickering, while the evil guys are focused and kicking ass. In the Marvel world much the same. 

In movies, film scholar Kristen Thompson: “…twenty-five disaster movies appeared throughout the eighties. But in the nineties fifty-six disaster movies were released… From 2000-2009 over sixty apocalyptic films were released, and about the same 2010-2016. 

Incessant doom and gloom. Incessant race and cultural conflict. Incessant climate doom and gloom, we’re all going to die soon. Much of the angst is because of all the divisions between groups, male against female, race against race, governments doing terrible and stupid things, corporations doing terrible and stupid things. What do we turn to? More government, more breaks for corporations, more riots, more technological surveillance, and more political failure. Just doubling down on what got us here in the first place. Before when we talked about apocalyptic events, they were religious or spiritual. All those things mentioned earlier, are all secular. Yet we keep turning to secular solutions.

The idea of this arose out of the sermon today, based partially on Isaiah 56:1-2.

1: This is what the Lord says:

“Be just and fair to all.

Do what is right and good,

for I am coming soon to rescue you

and to display my righteousness among you.

2: Blessed are all those

who are careful to do this.

Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest

and keep themselves from doing wrong.

Gathering on the Sabbath, whatever day you select, shows the answer is in gathering together. At our jobs we have all races, all religious backgrounds and beliefs and work together just fine. Gathering together on the Sabbath, looking beyond secular solutions, to corporately share something outside that secular life we experience daily, has the answer. More technology, business and government don’t. 

Just for starters, if every person that calls himself/herself a Christian actually gathered with other Christians on the Sabbath, how calming that would be? 

Apocalypse means unveiling, revelation. From that we know that on the other side of it, will be revealed good news; it is an ending to all this horribleness and divisiveness. Our not going to experience that, the gathering to reconnect with each other outside of the secular, leaves us almost entirely with the secular and solutions that don’t work. 

At the center of any Sabbath gathering is the Eucharist, Communion, sharing at the table, sharing bread and wine. Nothing is more important than doing this every time Christians come together. That gathering for that ritual, brings us all so very close together, brings a calm. 

Personally, I’m not a calm man, and this centering every week is vital to me. If it’s vital to one, then that means it vital for many, and I hope for all. All Christians going to Church would have a profound impact on the conflict and hatred rampant in the world. There are about 247 million people in the US that claim to be Christian. Think of the calming effect on the nation if we all went to Church. That experience moves out into the secular world. We know this “apocalyptic” time looks to gloomy and ultimately destructive because no one, including Christians that don’t gather, can see beyond the secular. They can’t see God’s heavenly creation beyond: can't see what is revealed. 

Think how much conflict and hatred would be reduced, if millions more that professed Christian faith, would gather together. How helpful that it would be to be just and fair to all, and do what is right and good, and know that Christ will come to rescue us, and see heaven and righteousness, and how blessed all of those that do this thing would be.

Pie in sky? I think not, but Christ in the sky, revealing Good News? I think so.  

Demeaning the Eucharist

A truck driver with his dog went to St. Peter's Anglican Church in Toronto, accepting an earlier invitation from Rev. Marguerite Rea. An invitation and acceptance to church is such a good thing.

What happened at that service, not so much a good thing. During communion, the dog came forward with the man, and the Reverend gave the dog a communion wafer. This is a holy moment, acknowledging our unity with Christ and his sacrifice for our Salvation. The Reverend was properly corrected by her Bishop, who called it misguided, and she apologized to her congregation.

We're concerned with this view though, of one of congregates: "If a dog goes into a church, he's entitled to every service that's offered, including spiritual nourishment." The Reverend needs to talk to this person, even possibly her whole congregation. If one person thinks something, you can be sure more than one is thinking it. The dog has not accepted our Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior; Communion reflects that, God's sacrifice, and our unity in recognition of that.

We Christians need to pay attention to the sanctity of this most holy of practices. In 2007 in San Fransisco, the "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence" came forward in garish transsexual clothing and makeup, obviously mocking the holy ceremony, to receive communion. Unfortunately the the Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco gave it. I suspect he was shocked and not thinking clearly, and apologized for demeaning the Eucharist.

Adding to this unfortunate event, there was even a Jesuit Catholic Priest Professor, Rev. Jim Bretzke, that said this was okay. It's against the Catholic Church's teaching about who is to be served the Eucharist. I'm a Protestant, and occasionally attend Mass. I'm deeply touched when the priests bow before the Lord's Table before stepping forward to begin Communion.

On the night when he was betrayed,
Jesus took the bread,
and when he had given thanks,
He broke it and said,
"This is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way he took the cup after supper, saying,
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this as often as you drink it,
In remembrance of me".

Our Faith is under constant attack, and has been since its inception. We were told that it would be so, always. We must keep this in mind, and recognize when it's threatened or demeaned. Communion is a deep, revered and most spiritual moment; its sanctity and meaning must be protected.

In remembrance of Me eat this bread
In remembrance of Me drink this wine
In remembrance of Me pray for the time
When God's own will is done

In remembrance of me heal the sick
In remembrance of me feed the poor
In remembrance of me open the door
And let your brother in, let him in

Take eat and be comforted
Drink and remember too
That this is my body and precious blood
Shed for you, shed for you

In remembrance of me always love
In remembrance of me don't look above
But in your heart, in your heart
Look in your heart for God

Do this in remembrance of Me
Do this in remembrance of Me
In remembrance of Me

Today is World Communion Sunday

Today is World Communion Sunday, traditionally observed on the first Sunday in October. The Christian Community world wide gathers to share the bread and wine in remembrance of Him, with the added thought and prayer for the unity of Christians everywhere.

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11: 23-26)

Our Service at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Las Vegas, is particularly wonderful. We have several ethnic churches that use our facility, so communion is shared in Spanish, French, Tagalog and Korean. It's an extraordinary service, and is a reminder of Him, who sacrificed so much, and we are all united by His Love, Mecy, and Forgiveness.

All are welcome at the Table in our church if you have accepted the Lord as Savior. One doesn't need to be a member.
"Those who are faithful and of little faith,
Those who are weak and strong,
Those who are hungry and satisfied,
Those who are lions and lambs,
Those who are doves and sword bearers,
Those who are afflicted and comfortable."
(Rev. Dr. Byron Anthony Wade.)

Lyrics to my favorite communion hymn:

In Remembrance
(Ragan Courtney and Buryl Red)

In remembrance of Me eat this bread
In remembrance of Me drink this wine
In remembrance of Me pray for the time
When God's own will is done

In remembrance of me heal the sick
In remembrance of me feed the poor
In remembrance of me open the door
And let your brother in, let him in

Take eat and be comforted
Drink and remember too
That this is my body and precious blood
Shed for you, shed for you

In remembrance of me always love
In remembrance of me don't look above
But in your heart, in your heart
Look in your heart for God

Do this in remembrance of Me
Do this in remembrance of Me
In remembrance of Me

As we Christians share this day, this bread, this wine in remembrance of Him, we pray for a healed world, for peace, for justice.

Communion and Swine Flu

The Church of England, because of swine flu, had changed its method of communion and is not sharing the chalice. Some Catholic churches are doing the same. They now do the ceremony using 'intinction', which is dipping the bread into the chalice. The method was first used over 450 years ago because of the bubonic plague. There was even a law at the time, the 1547 Sacrament Act, which allowed this change.

Some believers only take the bread, the body of Christ, and not the wine. I first saw this about three years ago when I attended my first Catholic service. The parishioners went forward and were given the bread, and then some walked right past the cup. I asked my friends about it, and they said some skipped for health reasons. The wine in the Catholic and Episcopalian churches is traditionally served by each member sipping from the chalice. Even though the priest wiped the lip of the cup after each person, I would be concerned too.

I don't think it's a true communion, a fulfilling of the sacrament, doing only one element. I was a bit puzzled by it. Our church traditionally has deacons pass trays with individual cups, with the wafers at the center, up and down each pew. It's both efficient and allows for a moment of prayer after being served. People with disabilities and the very elderly are served easily. We also use intinction depending on the service. The bread and wine are taken to those unable to come forward.

If you're not a member of the Catholic church, you can't take Communion (I don't know about the Episcopalians). Our church allows anyone that accepts Christ as their Savior to partake.