2Rd Grade Week: Communion
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
2RD GRADE WEEK: COMMUNION Start with this video: https://vimeo.com/105255877 Go through handout with students. What is the Lord’s Supper? Who does the work in the Lord’s supper? Make sure that they understand that this is God doing something for us. Again, we see that we are the receiver in all the sacraments that God gives us. Have any of them taken communion? Why do we take communion and who gave the first communion? Bonus Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SigoALSS1R8&feature=emb_logo The last supper with Jesus. Read some of Luke 22 first so that they can hear the story from the bible. Watch the video and see if they can pick out the similarities between how the Last Supper and what it looks like when we take communion. What things are the same? What is different? What are other terms for the Lord’s Supper? Other terms for the Lord’s Supper are “Holy Communion,” “the Sacrament of the Altar,” or “the Eucharist.” What is needed for the Lord’s Supper? The Word of God and the bread and wine. Who began the Lord’s Supper and when? Jesus began the Lord’s Supper on the night before He was crucified (Maundy Thursday). What does the Lord’s Supper do for us? Through the Lord’s Supper, God forgives us with Jesus’ own body and blood. What do the words “for you” show? When Jesus said the words “for you,” He wanted us to understand that everything He did, He did for us. Why do Lutheran churches wait to give the Lord’s Supper? The Lutheran Church waits to give the Lord’s Supper until people have learned more about their faith and about Jesus. This is because God tells us that we must be careful with the gift of Jesus’ body and blood poured out for us. Today we are going to be talking about something really important. It’s something called communion. Communion is a special thing Christians do. Jesus had this idea when he was having a special dinner with his disciples. The dinner was to remember something called Passover which had happened a long time before Jesus was born. Passover celebrated how God saved his people by having them bake some bread without letting it rise, then they were to kill a lamb and roast it, taking some blood from the lamb and spreading it over their doorposts. This would be a sign that death should not come to their homes from the 10th plague in Egypt. Every year, the people would celebrate the Passover to remember how God had saved them. That’s what Jesus and the dis- ciples were celebrating at the time of the first communion. But, this meal was important for another reason. It was the last meal Jesus would have with his disciples. Jesus knew what was about to happen to him. He was going to go to the cross to die for the sins of the people. But the disciples didn’t know that yet. So, Jesus used this last supper to explain what he was about to do for them. If time permits, read about the last supper from Luke 22. Here is what Jesus said at the “Last Supper” with his disciples: [Luke 22:19-20 ESV] And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. When these words of Jesus are read during church, the bread and wine for communion become a sacrament. A sacrament is when the word of God is joined with an object. So that is why God’s word is read over the bread and wine. The words are not magical. It’s just that the word makes the object something special. Let’s say I made a delicious cake and brought it to class. It’s just a cake, but let’s say I attach a word to that cake. Birthday cake. Now that cake is special and it says something to those who eat the cake. Feelings like celebrate, love, and memories of the day you were born are all a part of that cake now because of a word. Or what if I had a dress and added the word wedding to it. It is now not just an every day dress but a wedding dress, something changes how that dress is viewed and the occasion for which it is used. It becomes special and means something to the one who wears it and to those who see it. So now the bread and wine mean something to us as well. We are to remember what Jesus did for us. He gave us forgiveness by giving his body and his blood (his life). Other special words that Jesus gave us to remember during communion are “for you”. Jesus did this for you. That is the greatest way God could show us His Love through Jesus. Communion helps us to never forget all that Jesus did for us. He came to earth, lived a sinless life, and then died for our sins. We should be careful when we take communion and not treat it as something unimportant. That would not show respect for all that Jesus did for you. That is why not everyone takes communion. They should learn about the story of salvation and understand what Jesus did, before they receive communion. When one is not ready to receive communion, they may still approach the altar with everyone else. They should just fold their arms over their chest to let the person giving the bread know that a blessing should be given instead. This is not “bad” it shows respect for the importance of communion and that is a good thing. To prepare to take communion we should repent and confess our sins, believe that Jesus has brought forgiveness to them and trust that we are receiving his body and blood through a Sacrament. Then the blessings of communion are received. Intinction is the practice of taking the Lord’s Supper by somehow https://www.gotquestions.org/intinction-communion.html combining the two elements, bread and juice/wine. In many Eastern Orthodox traditions, this is done by mixing the bread and wine and then delivering both on a spoon to each congregant. In Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions, intinction is usually accomplished by dipping the bread into the wine and immediately taking it. The practice is sometimes found in Baptist, Congregational, non-denominational, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, and some other Protestant churches. Some churches serve bread/wafers and wine/grape juice from the front of the church where people approach the front at a designated time to be served the bread and wine. Sometimes they stand and receive and at other times they will kneel at a railing to receive communion. Then they return to their seats. Other churches may have participants remain in their seats and use small cups and plates to distribute communion among the rows of seats. The empty cups may be returned to a plate or sometimes there is a place in front of their seat to return the used cup. They may also use a loaf of bread instead of wafers, which is passed with the cups and participants are to tear off small pieces and pass the loaf to the person next to you. There are some churches that have “stations” or tables for communion around the church where the bread and wine are set up for different sections of the church. Once directed people may approach a table and pick up their own cup and piece of bread or wafer. Some churches have “Open” communion while some have “closed” communion. Closed communion means that the church limits who takes communion to those people who are members of their church. If you are visiting a church with a friend’s family or a relative, you may want to ask in advance if it is alright for you to take communion at their church. You may also ask if you may come forward for a blessing instead of taking communion. Open churches will offer communion to all who believe in Jesus, but may desire that these believers have been baptized before receiving communion. It is nothing to be embarrassed about if you remain in your seat while others take communion. It is a sign of respect and not one of shame. .