Prayer: Jesus, thank you for the bread of life, the wine of salvation, and your presence and support in every act of communion, in and out of church. Amen.
Reading: John 6:51-58 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: The sacrament of Communion is rooted in Jesus’s commission to love our Lord, first, and one another, next, just as He loves us. His sacrifice of body and blood for our sins, literally and figuratively supports humankind by restoring our connection to our Creator. As a church in relationship with God, each other, and believers all over the world, we observe the Lord’s Supper together, as a community. We are in communion – connected – by this sacrament. Outside of worship, our congregations often gather and support one another around other meals. Food seems to be a popular choice for bringing people together in communion. Free meals and food pantries are common outreach missions to which we are called as a collective church body. We invite our neighbors into fellowship halls or under the pavilion with our community suppers. We catch up with members during coffee hour, at church picnics, and annual festivals give us more chances to fundraise or support one another. Just as Martin Luther suggested we remember our baptism with each morning’s face-washing, I think every hot dog roast or soup sale can remind us of the message behind Communion: community in Christ. Now bring on the Jell-O! --Heather LeBlanc
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