I'm Physically Wired to Remember Christ Death
Every worship gathering at Crew includes an extremely vivid rite, called Communion, that reminds Christians that Christ died on the cross for our sin in our place as our substitute.
This is how it works. We pass a plate of crackers and a cup of juice through the group. If you have trusted Jesus' death for your sin, then we invite you to remember that by taking a cracker and passing it to the next person and say, "Christ's body broken for you". When the juice comes, you dip the cracker and pass the juice saying, "Christ's blood shed for you." Then you eat it. As you do that you think about what Jesus has done for us, what he is doing in us, and remind ourselves that he is coming back. This is a proclamation of the gospel to ourselves and those in our group.
If you're not a Christian or have sin that you are unwilling to confess or let go we remind you of the Bible's teaching in 1 Cor. 11 that you aren't to participate until you've been reconciled with God. And then urge you to do that ASAP.
I've done this every week for about 5 or 6 years now, but none of those times do I remember it physically hurting me.
Most people don't know this, but I've had something going on in my right jaw since I was a kid. Whenever I eat or drink something, a red whelp will go up the side of my jaw. Almost like I've been slapped. It doesn't stay real long and most of the time I don't feel it, but others see it. I used to think it was ketchup and then tomato based products, but now it does it all of the time. Including water. A few times a week maybe, I will feel it. It shoots a sharp pain up my jaw. Kind of like tasting something sour. I have a theory about it and what causes it and if you ask I'll tell you or post it in comments.
Well, yesterday I preached on the arrest and trials of Jesus. He is punched in the face in his 2nd trial with Caiphas. I even ended on the beginning of Jesus' pain toward the cross. Then we took communion.
When the juice soaked cracker came. I put it in my mouth. And an extremely sharp pain shot up the right side of my face. I smiled and teared up at the same time. I was reminded very physically of the pain of my Savior and God. And thanked him for literally allowing me to share in his suffering that morning and glory in his death. I feel privileged to be physically wired to remember Christ's death.
This is how it works. We pass a plate of crackers and a cup of juice through the group. If you have trusted Jesus' death for your sin, then we invite you to remember that by taking a cracker and passing it to the next person and say, "Christ's body broken for you". When the juice comes, you dip the cracker and pass the juice saying, "Christ's blood shed for you." Then you eat it. As you do that you think about what Jesus has done for us, what he is doing in us, and remind ourselves that he is coming back. This is a proclamation of the gospel to ourselves and those in our group.
If you're not a Christian or have sin that you are unwilling to confess or let go we remind you of the Bible's teaching in 1 Cor. 11 that you aren't to participate until you've been reconciled with God. And then urge you to do that ASAP.
I've done this every week for about 5 or 6 years now, but none of those times do I remember it physically hurting me.
Most people don't know this, but I've had something going on in my right jaw since I was a kid. Whenever I eat or drink something, a red whelp will go up the side of my jaw. Almost like I've been slapped. It doesn't stay real long and most of the time I don't feel it, but others see it. I used to think it was ketchup and then tomato based products, but now it does it all of the time. Including water. A few times a week maybe, I will feel it. It shoots a sharp pain up my jaw. Kind of like tasting something sour. I have a theory about it and what causes it and if you ask I'll tell you or post it in comments.
Well, yesterday I preached on the arrest and trials of Jesus. He is punched in the face in his 2nd trial with Caiphas. I even ended on the beginning of Jesus' pain toward the cross. Then we took communion.
When the juice soaked cracker came. I put it in my mouth. And an extremely sharp pain shot up the right side of my face. I smiled and teared up at the same time. I was reminded very physically of the pain of my Savior and God. And thanked him for literally allowing me to share in his suffering that morning and glory in his death. I feel privileged to be physically wired to remember Christ's death.
posted by Josh Perry at
9:49 AM
5 Comments
