The Bread, Wine & Chiili?

Communion is an important part of church life.  It's the church communities chance to get back on track with each other, centred around Jesus and the gospel.  We've been missing communion at Cafe Church for a while because we didn't know exactly how we could it in a Cafe Church way, that wouldn't make visitors feel uncomfortable.

The Lord's Supper must be a really strange thing to outsiders but it really shouldn't be.  Everyone understands food.  Eating together is a really important part of family life in most (if not all) cultures.  The first Communion was part of a Passover meal and it's clear in 1Corinthians that it was still a meal later in the first century.

"When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk."  1Co 11:20-21

The solution that we came to was quite simple (but different).   Our communion is now part of a monthly bring and share meal.  So now on the first Sunday of every month everyone brings some food and we all enjoy fellowship with grub.  At the start of the meal we break a big fancy loaf and pray, reminding ourselves - and helping visitors understand - what Jesus did for us when His body was broken.  Instead of having a tiny morsel of bread we encourage people to take a massive chunk to eat with there meal.  This last Sunday my wife brought a big pot of chilli con carne, when people got up to eat they took their bread and then ate it with the chilli.

"In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."" 1Co 11:25

Then after the meal (see above quote) we then pour everyone a glass of wine (red grape juice) and remind ourselves - teach others - about the blood Jesus shed to bring about His new agreement by praying and drinking together.

Instead of making it a strange thing for non Christians to come into and watch from the outside, it's something you can easily invite them into. They may just come for the food but they hear the gospel.  But more than just hearing the gospel they get to see it in action, as the church family enjoy each others company and welcome people in.

Church meetings can often be mystical rituals to non Christians.  But I don't think they were originally meant to be.  Working in a church plant has been a great eye opener for me.  Everything we do has to be thought through carefully,  because we're primarily aiming at outsiders.  So before we do anything we have to ask these questions:

• Is it understandable?  
• Is it welcoming?  
• Is it gospel centred? 
• Is it Biblical?  
• Is it right?

Maybe we should be asking these kind of questions more often in our churches.  We can be so worried about making mistakes that we never try anything new.  I'd rather risk something new to see people saved, than keep things safe and not grow.

Remember, Jesus didn't die so that we wouldn't make any more mistakes.  He died for our mistakes!  So that if we love Him, even our mistakes wont separate us from Him!.  Let's not be afraid of making mistakes for the right reasons.

Yours in Jesus.

Ben