Why I Take Communion

Bruce Reyes-Chow

I take communion because it reminds me that the Body of Christ goes far beyond those who circle the table in our little church; rather it is extended to those whom we will most likely never meet, which in turn compels us to live in the world as if every person is a brother or sister in Christ. Communion also reminds me of the holy and divine nature of Christ's life, death, and resurrection that has connected me to God forever and ever, which means that every cell of my body must act with gratitude for the gift of Christ.

Bruce is a Presbyterian Pastor serving Mission Bay Community Church, a former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and blogs at Bruce Reyes-Chow.

Monica A. Coleman

Once a month, I gather with community --
some are friends; some I barely know.
We tell stories of how God brought us out of difficult times and into freedom.
This is bread for our journey together.
We sit at the table with people who have hurt us.
We trust that God will give us the grace we need to be more than we are.
We drink in these promises of God.
Once a month, I gather in community
to learn friendship, fellowship and forgiveness
from what Jesus did
. . . and this kind of work requires a meal.

Monica is Associate Professor of Constructive Theology and African American Religions at Claremont School of Theology and blogs at Beautiful Mind Blog.

Steve Thorngate

I'm tempted to turn in just five words: "because Jesus told us to." Of course, he told us lots of things we mostly ignore. Yet communion remains central, and I'm glad -- because despite this our culture maintains a woefully unspiritual concept of food. So while all the communion-as-hospitality talk can sometimes crowd out the mystery, I appreciate what it's done to remind us that it's actual bread we're breaking together. And while the directions from Jesus that we ignore tend to be the radical ones, what's more countercultural than a meal in which, regardless of worldly status, everyone eats the same thing and is nourished?

Steve Thorngate is Assistant Editor at The Christian Century Magazine, a church musician, a grad student in theology and blogs at Century Blog.

Amy Julia Becker

I've been to seminary and heard the debates about symbolism and transubstantiation and everything in between. I've read the Bible stories. I've meditated upon the idea of receiving Jesus' body and blood, broken and shed for me. I've been to high church celebrations of the mass and low church services where bread is dipped in grape juice. And I can't say I've figured out why we do it, why I do it. It remains a mystery. A commandment. A gift. A time of giving and receiving, of humbling myself, of being blessed. A reminder that I am broken, and beloved.

Amy Julia is a writer, a student at Princeton Theological Seminary and the author of Penelope Ayers: A Memoir. She blogs at Thin Places.