OUR DAILY BREAD : THE POWER OF RITUAL

[cimi]

October 1
Wednesday


THE POWER
OF RITUAL

READ:
1 Corinthians
11:23-34
____________________________________________________________________________________________

When I was growing up, one of the rules in our house was that we weren't allowed to go to bed angry (Eph. 4:26). All our fights and disagreements had to be resolved. The companion to that rule was this bed-time ritual: Mom and Dad would say to my brother and me, "Good night. I love you." And we would respond, "Good night. I love you too."

The value of this family ritual has recently been impressed on me. As my mother lay in a hospice bed dying of lung cancer, she became less and less responsive. But each night when I left her bedside I would say, "I love you, Mom." And though she could say little else, she would respond, "I love you too." Growing up I had no idea what a gift this ritual would be to me so many years later.

Time and repetition can rob our rituals of meaning. But some are important reminders of vital spiritual truths. First-century believers misused the practice of the Lord's Supper, but the apostle Paul didn't tell them to stop celebrating it. Instead he told them, "As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes" (1 Cor. 11:26).

Rather than give up the ritual, perhaps we need to restore the meaning. __Julie Ackerman Link

`````````````````````Lord, when we observe the Lord's Supper, help```````````````````
``````````````````````us avoid the trap of letting our observance`````````````````````
````````````````````grow routine. May we always be moved with````````````````````
``````````````````````gratitude for the wonderful gift of ritual.``````````````````````
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Any ritual can lose meaning
but that does not make the ritual meaningless

******************************Today's Bible Reading __ 1 Corinthians 11:23-34*****************************

23 For I received from the
Lord that which I also
delivered to you: that the
Lord Jesus on the same night
in which He was betrayed
took bread; 24 and when He
had given thanks, He broke it
and said, "take, eat; this is
My body which is broken for
you; do this in remembrance
of Me." 25 In the same
manner He also took the cup
after supper, saying, "This
cup is the new covenant in
My blood. this do, as often
as you drink it, in
remembrance of Me." 26 For
as often as you eat this bread
and drink this cup, you
proclaim the Lord's death till
He comes.

27 Therefore whoever eats
this bread or drinks this cup
of the Lord in an unworthy
manner will be guilty of the
body and blood of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine
himself, and so let him eat of
the bread and drink of the
cup. 29 For he who eats and
drinks in an unworthy
manner eats and drinks
judgment to himself, not
discerning the Lord's body.

30 For this reason many are
weak and sick among you,
and many sleep. 31 For if we
would judge ourselves, we
would not be judged. 32 But
when we are judged, we are
chastened by the Lord, that
we may not be condemned
with the world.

33 Therefore, my brethren,
when you come together to
eat, wait for one another.

34 But if anyone is hungry, let
him eat at home, lest you
come together for
judgment....

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
On the evening Jesus celebrated His last Passover with His disciples,
He also established His own memorial supper. The unleavened
Passover bread symbolized the exodus from Egypt, and the cup echoed
the Old Testament promise, "I will redeem you."