We in the Christian church have the Eucharist as a focal point of our lives and worship. We are taught that it is a very somber moment of remembering that Christ’s body was broken and his blood spilled for us. Except we are also led to believe all of this is our fault. If we were not such sinners, Jesus would not have had to die!
When did we forget that it is about His life and not his death? “As often as you do this, do it in remembrance of me ” was said before he had died and he asks us to think of him every time. He is asking us to remember how he lived. For so many the Eucharist is not a celebration of His life, it is a remembrance of his death. Why do we do this?
It is often convenient to control people with guilt. In the Advent season we now have the “elf on the shelf”. The elf is all about getting kids to behave and it is done through guilt. The elf is watching the kids. How is this healthy? Santa is no better with his “list”. When did we stop celebrating life and start watching for mistakes?
What if we all take the bread and wine in celebration of a life well lived? What if we stopped feeling guilty and instead celebrated the precious life we have been give? Then we could find daily ways to live out that gift in joy and service.
TMM