It was woven into the culture of every church I attended. But then my dad was the pastor, so it was perfectly consistent everywhere I went.
Some of my strongest memories of the Lord’s Supper happened on Saturday night. Not because we had a Saturday evening service, but because my dad made fry bread instead of using the more normal crackers. There was always extra that we didn’t need for church, so the family got to enjoy it as a Saturday evening treat.
Why did we make fry bread, you might ask.
My dad was really into being authentic. He pointed out that back in Exodus 12:34 we read that the people of Israel didn’t have time to make proper loaves of bread because they had to leave Egypt in a real hurry. So they made unleavened bread. Literally flat bread that would have looked like a pita today (without the hollow middle), perhaps chewy or crispy depending on how long it was cooked.
Do you see the connection yet?
Throughout the years, that unleavened bread became so connected to the exodus from Egypt that it was incorporated into the annual festival of the Passover. That feast commemorated God delivering their ancestors from captivity in Egypt and putting them on the path to receive His promise of a land they could call their own. And unleavened bread was a critical element that helped them remember.
Is it becoming clear?
When Jesus told His disciples to remember Him, they were in the middle of celebrating the Passover. When He broke the bread and gave thanks and said “This bread is my body broken for you,” He was holding a piece of unleavened bread.
Yes. My dad, the pastor of our church, wanted to tie the celebration of the Lord’s Supper as closely to Jesus as he possibly could. After all, the celebration is about remembering Jesus. We couldn’t go to Jerusalem or celebrate communion in an upper room (the church had one, but it was the audio recording booth and it was far too small). But we could eat the same kind of bread that Jesus was holding when He gave the instruction.
That’s a cool connection. I love that little story. The bread was also very tasty.
But it’s not even close to all the coolness you can find by looking at what Jesus was doing when He instituted that ordinance of the church. In that moment, so many different symbols came together that most Christians are simply unaware of.
No one teaches this stuff any more. We’ve lost so much richness and depth in that simple ceremony, because we have lost touch with where it all came from.
But you can change that. You can reclaim some of that knowledge and expand your understanding and appreciation of the bread and the cup, whatever you call it. It will make the experience much more meaningful and emotional however often you celebrate.
Last year I wrote a little book to explain how communion came about. Then COVID-19 hit and I got a little bit distracted and didn’t really follow through on telling people about it. But this is something I am really passionate about. I believe it makes a real difference.
So I’m telling you about the book now, a year later. I called it As Often As You Do It, borrowing from the Apostle Paul’s retelling of that evening in 1 Corinthians 11: As often as you do it, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
You can have this book. I’ve knocked the price down to less than one dollar this week. On Sunday I plan to end the sale and move it back to regular price. But I want you to get it while the price is so low.
Here are the links where you can find it and make it your own.
Click here to get the book on Amazon in the US. Or on Amazon UK.
Click here to get the book on other retailers. Or directly from me on my website.
This book will tell you about the little known meaning of the bread and the specific cup of wine that Jesus used. Each of these had an existing meaning that Jesus used as the foundation of what He was doing. His disciples knew this and could put the dots together. So did the first century Christians.
You will too, if you get the book. It’s worth it – and then some.
I hope you enjoy!
Blessings,
Dennis
P.S. Throughout this email I think I’ve used “communion” and “The Lord’s Supper” an even number of times. Growing up I used communion more commonly. But I want to know what name you call it.
Take a second to reply to this email and let me know what you call it (now or growing up). And if you have a fun story or memory related to the bread and the cup, I’d love to hear it.
D
