Communion over Corona!

Apr 4

We’ve been having a daily Communion and prayer time at home as a family.

In the midst of the corona virus and current quarantine of our world, this is one way to turn our hearts toward Christ and bring His peace into these circumstances. As my friend TONYA says, “Christ is greater than the crisis!”

Want to learn how? There’s no time like now to begin. You don’t have to be in a church building to experience this sacred tradition, but there are some things to know before you begin.

What is Communion?

During the final meal Jesus shared with His disciples (known as The Last Supper) before He was betrayed, arrested and crucified, He instructed His followers to partake of bread and wine in remembrance of Him (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

What does the bread and wine symbolize?

Jesus knew the sacrifice He was about to make: The Son of God would die for the sins of the world. The Bible says “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Though Jesus lived his life on earth without sin, He suffered a brutal death on the cross, choosing to give Himself to pay the wages of our sin. The bread represents His body broken for us; the wine His blood shed for us.

So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. ... Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.- John 6:53 [The Last Supper]

Jesus called Himself “the bread of life.” To eat the bread representing His flesh is to partake of the life He gave for us, and still gives to those who believe in Him. We are nourished by Him. He alone satisfies us when everything else leaves us empty. The closer we are to Jesus, the more fulfilled by Him we are.

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.- John 6:35

What is the process of doing Communion?

This has been our family’s process:

First, we get Communion supplies ready (see below What supplies are needed for Communion?).
We gather in our prayer room, in a circle of prayer. We begin with each person speaking aloud anything on our hearts during our prayer time. This has ranged from prayers for people who have been diagnosed with the virus or other sicknesses, for people who have lost their jobs, for people who are still without homes after the recent tornadoes, and for God’s protection over our home and family, friends and extended family who don’t live near us. We give thanks for the blessings we have, for God’s peace and provision. Sometimes we pray for our nation’s President and other leaders in the world, that God will lead and direct their steps and decisions.
Sometimes we read aloud Scripture. A great verse to print and read aloud from during this time is Psalm 91, declaring that “no sickness will come near the dwelling of our home or the dwelling of our body.”
Then, we spend a few moments to prepare our hearts for what we are about to do and remember why we are doing it. Sometimes my husband or I will speak aloud a prayer reminder of Who and what this symbolizes before we all partake; sometimes I play a short video on my phone from YouTube, of a pastor guiding us through it (see reSOURCEs at bottom for some suggested videos).

Here is a simple prayer example before partaking:

Jesus, You are the Bread of Life. We come before You to partake of this bread and wine/juice** in remembrance of what You have done for us, dying on the cross for our sins. As we eat this bread and drink this wine/juice**, we are reminded of our dependence on YOU and we thank You for saving us! In Your mighty and matchless name, Amen.

What supplies are needed for Communion?

See some options in reSOURCEs at bottom for premade Communion supplies that can be purchased, or you can make your own. Some use wafers and grape juice; others use bread and wine. In our family, we have used grape juice and Saltine crackers broken into pieces. Recently, I got a simple recipe from a friend [see reSOURCEs at bottom] for how to make unleavened bread, which we’ve been doing each day since Palm Sunday leading up to Easter.

Grape Juice or Wine?**

There are different positions about this, but the point of the sacrament has been missed when divided over whether believers should consume grape juice or alcohol for Communion. Whether it is grape juice or wine in the cup, keep in mind what it represents: Jesus’ blood shed for us (Luke 22:20).

A word about baptism.

Because the Bible tells us baptism is the natural next step after becoming a believer in Christ (Acts 2:38), I consider it to be an important prerequisite of the sacred tradition of Communion. Making the choice to be baptized is to make a declaration to others: “I am choosing to follow Jesus!”

Each of our family members has made their own personal decision to follow Jesus and to be baptized. Some people want to be baptized in a river; some choose baptism service in a church. Our two boys had a baptismal ceremony in a swimming pool, with their dad and a pastor officiating!

The important thing is not the where, it’s what the act of baptism represents: Coming out of the water “Born Again!” (For more information about baptism, see suggested reSOURCEs at bottom).

I have found that sharing Communion at home with our family is not only a sacred time to remember the LORD and turn our hearts towards Him, but it’s also a few precious moments to hear what’s on everyone’s heart during this uncertain time. We’ll be continuing our daily ritual all the way to Easter Sunday, and maybe even beyond!