Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

May 4
Sunday


TEARS OF
GRATITUDE

READ:
1 corinthians
11:23-32
___________________________________________________________________________________________

You proclaim the Lord's
death till He comes.
__1 Corinthians 11:26
__________________________________________________________________________________________

At a communion service my wife and I attended, the congregation was invited to come forward to receive the bread and cup from one of the pastors or elders. They told each one personally of Jesus' sacrifice for him or her. It was an especially moving experience during what can often become just routine. After we returned to our seats, I watched as others slowly and quietly filed past. It was striking to see how many had tears in their eyes. For me, and for others I talked with later, they were tears of gratitude.
The reason for tears of gratitude is seen in the reason for the communion table itself. Paul, after instructing the church at corinth about the meaning of the memorial supper, punctuated his comments with these powerful words: "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes" (1 Cor. 11:26). With the elements of communion pointing directly to the cross and the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf, that service was about so much more than ritual__it was about Christ. His love. His sacrifice. His cross. For us.

How inadequate words are to convey the extraordinary worth of christ! sometimes tears of gratitude speak what words can't fully express. __Bill Crowder

`````````````````Were the whole realm of nature mine,```````````````````
``````````````````That were a present far too small;`````````````````````
``````````````````````Love so amazing, so divine,```````````````````````
```````````````Demands my soul, my life, may all. __Watts````````````````
___________________________________________________________________________
The love Christ showed for us on the cross
is greater than words could ever express.

****************************Today's Bible Reading __ 1 Corinthians 11:23-32************************
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.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

For centuries, the Jewish community of faith had called to memory
God's provision of their deliverance out of bondage in Egypt. This
memorial was celebrated through the Passover meal (Ex. 12:1-28). A
roasted lamb, unleavened bread, wine, bitter herbs, and other items
helped them remember their salvation from slavery. In our reading
today, we see how our Lord took that sacred feast and transformed
it into a memorial of His own sacrificial death (see Luke 22:19).