"Bread - Taste It!"

Pastor Laura Guy

June 10, 2007

Here's an instant replay of what happened in worship:

We heard Pastor Laura talk about the song "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" and why being with the Kelsey Smith family in the wake of their daughter's murder changed the way she thought about the song. Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.
We learned from Raccoon John Smith why Alexander Campbell threw down a coin when it came time to take communion in his Scottish Presbyterian church. He had to pass a test from the elders of the church to prove he was worthy of communion, and then he was given a token to present at the table. Instead, he threw it on the ground because he believed that Christ's table is for everyone.
We thought about what it means to practice open communion. Is the table just for Christians, or do we agree with John Wesley that it is a "means of grace" - that God can use communion to change a human heart? At Living Water, we welcome anyone to the table who wants to experience it, whether they already believe or are just seeking. This means we welcome children, too.
We read the Words of Institution from 1 Cor. 11:23-25. These are the words we hear each week as we prepare to come to the table, so that we never forget that it is Jesus who offers us this great gift.
We looked at pictures from Cane Ridge, Kentucky, and we heard about the great revival that happened there in 1801. Barton Stone's church hosted that camp meeting, which became the largest one ever on American soil. It was a hunger for communion and a hunger for God that drew over 20,000 people to that small church in Kentucky.
We prayed that God would pour out His Spirit on us, too, the children of Cane Ridge.
In Act(s) II, we made red chalices with a white Saint Andrew cross - the symbol of our denomination.