Communion: Awareness of Holiness

Communion: Awareness of Holiness 
by Shauna Niequist, from Savor

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. — Luke 22:19

I believe that Jesus asked us to remember Him during the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the wine every time, every meal, every day — no matter where we are, who we are, what we’ve done.

If we only practice remembrance when we take communion at church, we miss three opportunities a day to remember. What a travesty! Eugene Peterson says that “to eyes that see, every bush is a burning bush.” To those of us who believe that all of life is sacred, every crumb of bread and sip of wine is a Eucharist, a remembrance, a call to awareness of holiness right where we are.

I want the holiness of the Eucharist to spill out beyond the church walls, out of the hands of priests and into the regular streets and sidewalks, into the hands of regular, grubby people like you and me, onto our tables, in our kitchens and dining rooms and backyards.

Holiness abounds, should we choose to look for it.

The whisper and drumbeat of God’s Spirit are all around us, should we choose to listen for them. The building blocks of the most common meal — the bread and the wine — are reminders to us:

He’s here. He’s here, and He is good.

Every meal is an opportunity to remember Jesus, to honor Him and celebrate holiness. Take a moment at your table today, and thank God for His presence and goodness.

“He’s here, and He is good.” Take time to really soak in Shauna’s beautiful reminder.