Sun 6 Aug 2006
Saturday was a good day here. I had a phone call a 6:30am telling me someone had found my dog! Yeah! I took about a 15 minute walk and picked her up. The family that found her had taken good care of her. I was thankful. Later that morning I preach the message in church and gave the Lord’s Supper. It was the first time I had ever given the Lord’s Supper and I was nervous, but there again God was good to me and it all went well. Having to lead the Lord’s Supper gave me a new perspective about the practice. I ? believe most Christian don’t really understand the deep importance it carries. Here in Nepal we take the Lord’s Supper a little more seriously than we did back in the states. First of all we ask anyone who is not a baptized believer to not take part in the Lord’s Supper. We also warn others the dangers of taking the? Supper in an un worthy manner. Some may think those things harsh, but taking the Lord’s Supper is no joke. Read Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11:27-30
??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.?
The scripture is clear. The Lord’s Supper is a serious practice. It’s a time of us to remember the sacrifice our Savior made for us. So the next time you take the bread and wine (or juice) focus on the cross and the one crucified.
August 6th, 2006 at 8:18 am
Hey Nathan,
Interesting entry, because here too they take it very very seriously. Our pastor gives a verY VERY STRONG exhortation about the consequences of taking it unworthily, before we pass it out. It’s also neat because its more of a community of believers experience, where we pass around a big basket of fresh loaves of bread and little cups of wine. We break the bread as its passed and everyone is very serious and pensive. We have silent prayer and then afterwards we usually have a time of the pastor sharing some meditations he has or praying. After that, a time of rejoicing at the significance and then usually prayer out loud as a congregation together. Here they all just shout out their prayers simultaneously, and its so awesome because they are just shouting up praises and thanksgiving to their Lord. You know the H.S. is present and it is a humbling and very real experience of remembering what our Lord did.
I think we all take it way too lightly in the US, and I’m glad for living in a foreign culture where I am refreshed anew at what this meant to the original 12 when they partook the first time.
Prayed for your preaching and trust it went well,
Bethany
August 7th, 2006 at 6:58 pm
Nathan, thanks for reminding us of the importance and seriousness of the
Lord’s supper. So happy you found your dog and she was Okay. Take care
and much love. Norma
August 8th, 2006 at 6:41 am
Nathan,
So glad to hear about Asha! We just had the Lord’s supper at my church. My pastor
always reads the last few verses of 1Corinthians 11 to remind the congregation of the
seriousness of the Lord’s supper. Praying that everything is going well! God bless!