Nothing fancy here - no pictures - just my notes from a recent opportunity I was given to lead the communion portion of our church service. (Our pastor selects one of the men of the church each month, and I was honored to be asked to lead November 1st, 2009.)

When taking communion, most of us have heard the verses Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

"the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes." (1 Co 11:23-26, NKJV)

As I prayed about what to share, I was drawn to the last part of this passage: that we "proclaim the Lord's death till He comes."

That's what we do when we take communion together.

Why do we proclaim his death? Because that's the Gospel message!

Paul says later in the same letter,

"I declare to you the gospel..." -- and he goes on to say -- "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Co 15: 1, 3-4, NKJV)

And of course we know John 3:16 -- "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

That's why we proclaim his death - because it's by his death for us that we are saved.

And the second part of that verse: "until he comes"

That's our great hope, isn't it? By his death for our sins we have everlasting life, and that life is with him, and as it says in Philippians, "our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Phil 3:20, NKJV)

One of my favorite promises of Scripture is in John, where Jesus says,

"I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:2-3, NKJV)

And then, at the end of Revelation, Jesus said, "Surely I am coming quickly." (Revelation 22:20, NKJV)

So as we eat the bread together, let's remember that we are proclaiming his death...and as we drink the cup, let's remember that we do it until he comes for us.