COMMUNION

On one of His last nights on earth, on the worst night of His life, Jesus shared a meal with His disciples. There He took pieces of bread and a cup – two ordinary, everyday items – and poured new meaning into them. Three of the four gospel writers and one of Paul’s letters record this event, and in their accounts, Jesus gave His followers a command: Do this in remembrance of me (Matthew 26:26-29; Luke 22:19; Mark 14:22-25; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). These words form the foundation for why we take communion at The Crossing. We participate in this ancient, meaningful ritual to slow down and remember. We remember that our Savior gave His body and shed His blood for us. We cling to the grace that is ours because of His sacrifice. As Christ-followers have done for thousands of years, we take communion to remember Jesus. Like always, everything comes back to Him.

What does communion mean for us theologically?

While important, communion is an act of remembrance. Receiving the bread and cup has nothing to do with salvation. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone (Ephesians 2:4-9). Several significant theological points follow from this. For starters, communion does not save you. Trusting in what Jesus did on the cross is the only way that people gain right standing before a holy God (Romans 3:23-26). The elements are not special in and of themselves, but they matter because they point us back to the cross. They are not a means of grace, but serve as reminders of the grace that people have already received in Christ. Because of that, we invite all committed followers of Jesus to receive communion during our worship gatherings.

"They are not a means of grace, but serve as reminders of the grace that people have already received in Christ."

If you are still asking questions about Jesus, if you still see communion as a religious hoop to jump through or box to check, we politely and respectfully ask that you refrain from joining us in this part of the service. The Bible makes it clear that communion, while symbolic, carries weight (1 Corinthians 11:27). We must examine ourselves before taking the bread and the cup (1 Corinthians 11:28). While none of us are worthy on our own, Jesus Christ makes us worthy. We rest in that grace. If you are unsure about what that means or still have questions, one of our pastors would love to speak with you. You can reach us at pastors@thecrossing.church.

When do we take communion?

Whenever we take communion, like every aspect of our worship gatherings, we prayerfully consider how it helps us slow down and experience God’s grace. We never want to receive the elements so much that they lose their meaning. On the flip side of that, we don’t want to take communion so few times that it doesn’t seem important to us. With that in mind, we take communion on average every three to five weeks. Some weekends, we’ll take the bread and juice together at the same time. Others, we’ll take them individually, giving us space to reflect on how God is working in our lives and the steps that He is calling us to take. No matter when or how we do it, the point remains the same. We remember our Savior’s gracious sacrifice. And for the tenth, hundredth, thousandth, or maybe even the first time, we remember God’s grace and cling to the hope that we have because of it.