The gathering

One of the great privileges of ministry for me is being able to preside at the time of Holy Communion. Last Sunday was a typical occasion. We were small in number due no doubt to families celebrating Father’s Day; but looking around as our church family gathered at the table I was struck again by the depth of this service.

In other times and other places I have seen people slip into automatic pilot when the words of institution of the meal begin to be spoken. Not with the NWUC crew! We seem to have found a way of celebrating Holy Communion that allows for smiles – or even laughter – as we see our children ‘do’ communion their particular way and yet this does not detract from the clear depth of thought from others. There is rarely a Communion Sunday goes by where some among us are not clearly deeply moved by this awe filled time.

I think I may have shared before that if I visit another place and am asked to share in Communion I am occasionally asked if I would like the loaf pre-cut. A loaf can sometimes be hard to break on the spot so it might be more convenient to put a surreptitious cut through the base to give you a flying start! From my limited knowledge this is a practice not all that uncommon. I’m sorry; I don’t get that at all. When Jesus said, ‘This is my body given for you’ it wasn’t something gift wrapped with pretty ribbon! There was a cost. Holy Communion is not designed to be convenient for us. If the loaf is hard to break well .. deal with it!

The church is not a club that is handy to belong to for what ever reasons. It is a family who commit their lives to each other under God. I am aware of people who have been a part of us and then for any number of reasons spend a significant time away. On their attempted return they have shared that it is difficult to fit back in and this of course is unfortunate; but I think it is also a spin off from the family stuff.

Whenever Ronnie and I return to our family in Ballarat, it takes a while to settle back in to feeling a part of things. Indeed sometimes we are simply not a part of things anymore! The family has moved on and in that moving forward they have celebrated minor wins and losses along the way that we know little or nothing of.

We are different from the local footy club or service club. We are not motivated by the thrill of a win or the eagerness to see our kids do well, not that there is anything particularly wrong with that. We enjoy doing community stuff but don’t hang out to be recognised or be given pats on the back, nice as that is. We are a part of something that is so much deeper and bigger and the glue that holds us together is recollected and made visible as we gather and share in a sacred meal.
Yes, we can be Christian without being a part of the church gathering; but for all of its flaws – and being full of people like me it has plenty – the church is still the vessel of hope that God continues to bless. Like it or not we belong together. We need each other.

Church is a powerful place. We do a lot of good work in a variety of situations across our community. During the week we find ourselves scattered all over the place; but it is in our gathering together that we can find strength, hope and meaning for all of that scattering.

Cheers - John