Currently, Ben is serving with...
Illustration
Currently, Ben is serving with the US Army in war-torn Iraq. The week before being
deployed, members of his unit gathered for an ecumenical worship service that concluded
with communion. He was surprised at the large number of people who attended the
service that day. At the regular services, less than twenty from his unit attended.
As the chaplain took the bread and broke it, he reminded them that Jesus' body was broken on the behalf of all people, including each and every one of them. Then he held up the chalice saying that the juice represented Christ's blood that was shed for them.
The mood was solemn as women and men came forward to receive the bread and cup. They did not know what the future held for them. There might be some of them who would not return home. They were about to be sent into a hostile, violent place.
That worship service was truly special. Maybe they would remember that worship service on days and nights filled with fear and apprehension.
Jesus longed to share a meal with his disciples. While Jesus knew exactly what would happen to him, the disciples did not. Their future remained a mystery. That night in the upper room, they connected with Jesus. They, too, would eventually be dispersed into unknown parts of the world. Perhaps when things were not going as well as they hoped, they remembered that special night with Jesus in the upper room. That memory gave them strength to continue proclaiming the good news.
As the chaplain took the bread and broke it, he reminded them that Jesus' body was broken on the behalf of all people, including each and every one of them. Then he held up the chalice saying that the juice represented Christ's blood that was shed for them.
The mood was solemn as women and men came forward to receive the bread and cup. They did not know what the future held for them. There might be some of them who would not return home. They were about to be sent into a hostile, violent place.
That worship service was truly special. Maybe they would remember that worship service on days and nights filled with fear and apprehension.
Jesus longed to share a meal with his disciples. While Jesus knew exactly what would happen to him, the disciples did not. Their future remained a mystery. That night in the upper room, they connected with Jesus. They, too, would eventually be dispersed into unknown parts of the world. Perhaps when things were not going as well as they hoped, they remembered that special night with Jesus in the upper room. That memory gave them strength to continue proclaiming the good news.
