“Holy Communion” by Rev. Dr. Jay Marshall Groat, October 6, 2024, at Mount Vernon, Ohio, based on Mark 10:13-16

I want to read some words to you from my favorite Bible commentary regarding what Dave just read for us. Quote: “The disciples here are attempting to enforce the standard social mores. The standard social mores during the life of Jesus included that children should not be allowed to disturb the teacher and the students. Once again, this behavior shows that the disciples do not understand the point of Jesus’ ministry, which is inclusive, not exclusive. Including the children also made it possible for the women, who had the responsibility of parenting them, to hear Jesus’ teaching. Children were not considered persons in their own right. They had no status or power. Jesus is warning the disciples that they must give up the normal human calculations of greatness if they are to participate in the rule of God.”

The standard social mores were clear, and they were exclusive of women and children. This isn’t the first time; the lectionary of the last month or so has really been driving this home. Jesus is trying to teach the disciples that he is not going to follow the normal social mores, that his ministry is about inclusivity, not exclusivity. So this got me thinking about that – holy communion. I think it’s a good thing from time to time in the life of a Christian faith community that we talk about the meaning of this meal, the various ways that we can look at it. It’s inclusive. All of this is preamble to when I’m really going to start preaching. I’ll let you know. This is all preamble so far. I’ve got two stories from my life about holy communion that happened to me. One of them is exclusive and one of them is inclusive, and I’m going to finish with the one that is inclusive in order to drive the point home. But I’ll let you know when the sermon’s actually started.

A few minutes ago, I read for you Psalm 26, we heard verses one through three, and verse three goes like this: “For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you.” Now this is unusual language in the psalm. The psalmist is writing about his or her relationship with God, and it’s rare in the Bible that we have someone who says, “I walk in faithfulness to you.” How will we walk to God? I’m going to make the case – now remember, I haven’t actually started the sermon yet – but I’m trying to make the case that the way we walk to God is to be inclusive, in our thinking and in our way of life. The Hebrew verb that we translate to “walk in faithfulness to you,” it actually means much more than walking, it means a way of life. A way of life, of walking to God, including making that circle as wide as possible.

So, what is holy communion? Holy communion, establishment of the Lord’s supper, is talked about in three of the four gospels. John doesn’t really use the Lord’s supper language. And it’s also mentioned in First Corinthians. Essentially, the meaning of the Lord’s supper – I’m quoting an expert here – “believers feast on Christ’s body and blood.” Our souls feed on the Christ. It’s important to notice and remember that you can’t do holy communion alone. You can’t do it. You can do it at home alone and fool yourself but it’s not holy communion. You’ve got to have a group. It’s got to be people coming together.

And this is Matthew 26 – now remember, the sermon hasn’t started yet, so just get comfortable. Matthew 26: “While they were eating Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat it; this is my body.’” We’re very sure we know pretty much exactly what kind of bread that was because it was unleavened bread and they were gathering for Passover. By the way, we have fabulous – this bread that I get to break whenever we have holy communion, it’s always really tasty, because I have some after the service. Now Jesus did not go out and buy any special bread, and this is an important symbol. It was bread that was already on the table. Common. Inclusivity. “Then he took a jug, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” He said take and drink. Why did he say all of you? Anybody want to guess? Judas was there, and we’re told that Jesus knew what was going on.

There is one thing that I am so sure of, and I’m just going to say for me. There is one thing that I am absolutely sure of, and that is this – I am not Jesus. There are people in my life – I’m not proud of this – I haven’t really forgiven them. I’m still working on it. Nobody here, none of you. I’m still working on it. I hope someday I can forgive them. I wish them no ill, I really don’t. Take and drink, all of you, even Judas. This is important stuff.

I had a very brief conversation with one of you this morning, you initiated it, and it’s kind of staying with me in a good way – not kind of staying with me, it’s staying with me in a good way. You came up in a very brief conversation, wondering what banner we should put out in front now. The comment was made that we want to put one out in light of the coming presidential and state election. What kind of message do we put out there – I like that kind of thinking. It’s like Jesus welcoming Judas with the cup.

OK, now I’m going to start the sermon. Ready? Here we go. This is a communion token. The First Presbyterian Church in Marysville, Ohio, my home church, was founded in 1829. It’s a much older and established congregation than this one, by five years. This is a replica of what was called a communion token. Now by the way, that was a Presbyterian church that was anti-slavery, I just want to get that on the record. Around the turn of the 19^th and 20^th centuries there was a very conservative movement that went throughout most of the Protestant denominations in the United States, and during that time at the First Presbyterian Church in Marysville you couldn’t take communion unless you turned in your communion token. I’ll show it to you later. On one side it says, “This do in remembrance of me.” You had to earn your communion token by doing things like going to church so many times per month and going to Sunday school class and that sort of thing. I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt if you would tithe, right? And if you didn’t earn the right to take communion you didn’t get your communion token. This is exclusivity.

A whole year before Vicki and I got married – we’ve been married for 42 years – I was living in Alliance, Ohio and she was up living in Painesville, Ohio, so we would get together on weekends, usually in Painesville, and we hid it from my parents. My mom found out, was absolutely appalled. You’re living together on the weekend?! Sorry, mom. Anyway, I would go to church. I knew I was going to go to seminary, but I wasn’t ready, and every Sunday for a whole year I went to a different church. I would drive all over. I went all over northeast Ohio, I went to Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, you name it, UCC. I didn’t really go to any Catholic churches, but there’s more on that in a minute. It doesn’t really matter what the denomination was, I’ll tell you – that particular Sunday I went to a Lutheran congregation, and everybody was nice, everybody was fine, and I saw that they were doing communion. We had the sermon, and as soon as it was time for communion everybody stood up. So, I stood up, and these people went over there, and those people went over there and everybody went everywhere and everybody knew what was going on, except for me. I didn’t know what to do, so I left. I’ll never forget it, that feeling of not being part of the group. Nobody said anything for the benefit of visitors and guests. I’m not mad at anybody, but I still think about it.

Now here it is – inclusivity. Fast-forward the tape, Vicki and I have been married maybe five or six years, and she had a business trip for a week in Boston, Massachusetts, and I went along with her. Boston’s great, even by yourself. They have, I think they call it the Freedom Walk, and it was great, went to Fenway Park. Fenway Park does not disappoint, don’t get me started. That was the old Fenway. I got up and I went to church, Sunday morning, and there was a big Catholic cathedral right down the street, and I thought, I’m going to go to church, a Catholic church, and it was great. We did the service, and then of course there’s communion towards the end of the service, and I thought to myself, ha, I’m going to go up and these people aren’t even going to know. They don’t even know, they think I’m Catholic, but I really wanted to receive communion. So, I did, I received communion, and I was part of the group. The Protestant in me came out after the service. I said to myself, I’m going to tell the priest. I went up to him after the service, and I smiled and stuck out my hand, and before I could say a word he said, “You’re Protestant, aren’t you?” And I said, “Yeah, I am.” I’m choking up a little bit, how much it meant to me. “I am, yeah, how did you know?” He said, “Oh, I can tell.” And I said, “You gave me communion.” He smiled and he put his hand on my shoulder, kind of just did one of these (patting shoulder) and said, “God bless you,” and turned and walked away. I’ll never forget it. I’ll never forget it. It was holy communion, and that’s what it means. Amen?