Communion by Joyce Schafer

I always associate communion with community. My personal definition of communion is the community of Christian believers coming together to receive the body and blood of Jesus.

This is one area of worship all Christian churches observe. These churches are very diverse in the ways they practice communion. Some worship places offer communion every day, others offer it once a week and yet others offer communion only on very special occasions. Some religions offer wine and wafers and others use grape juice and bread, but what really matters is not the form, but the Lord’s Supper itself.

In 1 Corinthians 11:28 it reads “A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.” We need to confess our sins and ask forgiveness. This is the way we personally prepare our bodies to receive communion.

We also need to prepare ourselves to receive communion as one body in Christ. We do this by living in harmony with our fellow Christians. Only then can we come together for communion as a true Christian community.