Reflections on "Setting the Table" Exodus 12: 43-51; Luke 22: 7-13

I enjoyed this sermon, although I seemed to stumble a bit more often than normal.  Not sure why.  I have been listening to my sermons lately, which may make me more aware of those stumbles than I would normally.

The topic of the Lord's Table has so much to preach. I am now thinking about taking the year 2014 and preaching an ongoing series on communion Sundays with sermons those weeks about different aspects of celebrating the Lord's Supper.  

I probably could have skipped the first point and spent more time on the behind-the-scenes preparation at this church (which was the grab bag request), but I really thought it was important to have the point about the exclusivity of the Israelite celebration of Passover.  In fact, I could spend  a sermon on inclusive/exclusive approaches to the Lord's Supper.  

I also have some great stories about kids in the church who have helped to set up communion. In fact, one of our worship co-chair's very young son helped set up communion yesterday.  

It also made me think that we ought to not settle for the lack of spiritual connection for the elders who serve.  Maybe we ought to have a prayer together each Sunday we have communion.  Or,  I could send out a meditation and prayer for the elders who are serving to read each week before communion.

Sermon went a bit long again. These grab bag sermons seem to be longer than my regular sermons!

“Grab Bag:  Setting the Table”  August 4, 2013; Grab bag series  Luke 22: 7-13; Exodus 12: 43-51

Introduction: Growing up, my siblings and I had a chore list. With four of us, that meant that the chores were divided up into four groups, and every four weeks your chores alternated.

Among the least favorite chores was setting the Table.  For one thing, it took place at a set time.  Most of the other chores had a ranges of hours in which we could choose to do them, but not setting the table.

Also, setting the table didn’t leave much room for fun or imagination.  Set six  plates (yes, we put the food on the table and served ourselves there); set six forks; six knives facing the correct direction; six spoons; six napkins (this did offer the creative moment of choosing to fold the cheap paper napkins into a triangle or rectangle; then take orders for drinks and put the drinks on the table.

Not much joy in that task.

I was thinking about how we prepared the Table as I reflected on this week’s grab bag request to talk about what goes on behind the scenes of preparing the Lord’s Table.

Move 1: Historic preparation, particularly as it speaks the practice of fencing the Table.

a.  Connection to the Passover.

1.   The Passover has the obvious connection because that was what Jesus and his followers were gathering to celebrate the night of the Last Supper.

2.  Historically critical moment from Israelite history when the final plague in Egypt was the visiting of the angel of death on all households, except those Israelite houses that had the blood of the lamb over their door.

3.  But I also want to point out how the Israelites understood the Passover to be their celebration exclusively. 

4. No one else was invited.

5. There were a few ways a non-Israelite could participate, but basically it meant becoming like the Israelites.

6. We call that fencing the Table.

            b.  Paul fences the Lord’s Table for pastoral reasons.

                        1. He tells the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 11: 29) that they eat and drink judgment against themselves if they celebrate the Lord’s Supper unworthily.

                        2.  Set off a long tradition in the Christian church of putting up fences.

      3. Catholic church practices closed communion – only practicing Catholics are invited to the Lord’s Table.

d. In the Presbyterian Church, we practice what we call “open” communion.

1.  Anyone who has been baptized and trusts in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Grew out of desire to be inclusive, particularly to include young children.

2.  When I took the confirmands to Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary  one year we had worship.  I instructed the confirmands that if they took communion at home, they could take it here; if they did not, they should respect their parents and not take communion.  I got all sorts of dirty looks when the confirmands did not go down for communion.  A lady even said to me, “You know in the Presbyterian Church kids can take communion!”  “I know,” I replied and didn’t bother to tell her that in the course of my ministry, I have introduced two churches to the “new” tradition of kids taking communion.

e. But are we really open?

1.       Each time we celebrate I say something to the effect that “everyone who has been baptized and trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior," is invited.

2.      A fence.  Maybe a small one.  But still a fence.

3.      No longer mention it.

Move 2: Let’s move from historic preparation to preparation in the local congregation.

            a.  Every church has its own idiosyncrasies related to communion.

1. The church I grew up in has a very formal approach with each elder getting a two-page, front and back letter complete with diagrams about how to do communion.  As you sit there, you notice their structure and order.

2. the minister I worked with on internship had a rule that the organist could not play music people would recognize during the meditative time of communion. He thought it would distract people from reflecting if they were humming along.

3.  Jan Childress, in column in Presbyterian Outlook, 4/5/2010:  “Canadian theologian Stephen Farris tells the story of a young pastor celebrating the Lord's Supper at a new charge for the first time.  The new pastor was an earnest young guy, intent on making good.  He arrived early that morning to prepare the elements. The bread was located easily enough, but the grape juice was nowhere in sight. Finally, with a sigh of relief, he came upon a box of purple powder.  Ah, he thought as he mixed it up with water and poured it out into the little cups , this is the way they do it here.  He set the trays in the fridge and went back to the sanctuary to practice. Ninety minutes later when the deacons arrived to set the table, the young pastor trailed them into the kitchen chatting, getting acquainted, making friends.  As it was that he was standing right there when the trays were pulled out of the fridge – glistening and jiggling in the kitchen light – full of grape Jell-O.

b. Our own church’s communion bread.

                        1. Recipe traces back to Jerry Saffell’s great, great grandparents, who came to the United States in 1778 from Scotland.

                        2.  Jerry’s grandmother modified the recipe to what it is now.

                        3.  Jerry’s mother made the Presbyterian Church in New Athens, OH

                        4. Inez passed on the task of making the communion bread to Cassa Johnson; Lucy Sanders now makes the communion bread.

                        5.  Even as we celebrate the Bicentennial, we use bread that goes back longer than the beginning of this church. And has traveled from Scotland to Eastern OH to Troy.

            6. When we talk about coming to the Table with all the saints who have come before us, we come with their recipe for bread!

            c.  Getting elders.

                        1.  Email now.

                        2.  Whoever is going to be here.

                        3. Not really very spiritual or theological.

            4. except we have elders – not priests.  That separates our practice from other churches.  We do not have to have a priest (or minister) do something to make the elements holy; we do not need a priest (or minister) to act as mediator with the elements; we do not need a priest (or minister) to connect us to God.

            5.  Everything about the Lord’s Supper is prepared by members and served by elders.

d.  How often?

1.  Growing up we only had communion quarterly and on Maundy Thursday.

2.  Catholics can have communion every day. In seminary, we celebrated it once a week.

3. We do it almost once a month and Maundy Thursday here.  You may have noticed that we now have one communion for June/July that does not fall on the first Sunday of either month.  We do this for the liturgical reason that we have trouble getting elders on the Sunday of Strawberry Festival and 4^th of July.

3.  Does frequency make it less meaningful?  Someone reading my blog noted that he or she only liked to take it on Maundy Thursday – less rushed and doing it once a year made it more special.

e.      we have to "advertise" that we are celebrating communion so that people can prepare themselves.

1.        how do you prepare yourself?

2.       Do you know that we are celebrating the Lord’s Supper on the Sunday before you arrive and see the Table set at the front of the sanctuary?

3.      Making of bread. Lucy prays over it. 

4.      The bread is prepared as a spiritual discipline.  How do you prepare spiritually for celebrating the Lord’s supper?

Move 3:  Jesus sets the Table

a.      Lord’s Table not because Jesus invites us to do this and remember him.

b.     Lord’s Table because his death sets the Table.

c.      Lord’s Table because his resurrection means that he meets us at this Table.

Conclusion:  Growing up, on special occasions, the chore of setting the table took on a different meaning – when it was setting the table for a special meal like Thanksgiving or Christmas.

There with the aroma of the dinner cooking, we would all want to get chosen to place the china plates on the table; get the silver out of the chest with the padded inside; carefully fold the cloth napkins; joyfully move among the gathered family to take drink orders.

It has now become the special task of grandchildren who get the same sense of specialness.

There was something wonderful about being involved in preparing for a special meal.

Jesus Christ has set our Lord’s Table.  Come  be a part of this special meal.