Lessons from a holy communion conundrum

In Christianity, communion is a “solemn sacred act” in which devoted followers prepare to have a Holy encounter, both symbolically and experientially, with the Almighty. This sacrament, which involves communal participation in breaking of bread and drinking of wine, globally unites followers of Jesus Christ, as they commemorate His crucifixion. Although the frequency of communion varies across denominations, most followers of Jesus would agree this God-mandated sacrament, helps believers everywhere to experience the love of Jesus more deeply and intimately. With that said, I can confidently say, that it is every believer’s liturgical nightmare to lose their elements while partaking in this sacred sacrament. Sadly, this is exactly what happened to me, this last Sunday, as my communion wafer slipped out of my hands and rolled across the auditorium into an abyss of stilettoes and Florsheim shoes. As I watched the wafer rapidly disappear into the sea of congregants, I could hear it scream as it met a sudden death. Yet, that scream was quickly drowned out by the panic that followed.

Being a faithful church attender since birth never prepared me for a situation like this. None of the countless “Purpose-Driven”, “Growth-Track”, “Alpha”, “New-Believer”, or “New-Member” classes that I participated in gave me the tiniest bit of advice as how to handle this type of crisis (Shame on them. 😉)….. So, as my heart pounded louder and louder, I realized that I had no clue as to what I should do.

My first taste of alcohol was when I was twenty-four years old…. and you guessed correctly….. it happened during a communion service at a church that I was visiting. As someone who was raised in a denomination that frowned upon the slightest consumption of alcohol, the use of “real wine” blind-sighted me. In fact, the strongest drink that my childhood church used for communion was Welch’s grape juice.

I remember praying with the congregation, lifting the miniature cup of wine to my lips, and suddenly feeling a burning sensation that was completely foreign to me. Suddenly, I was faced with a dilemma that had to be settled in a matter of milliseconds. Was I to symbolically spit the blood of Jesus out? (…. and if so, was this sacrilegious?) Or was I to swallow it and risk the wrath of being judged by the religious circle that I surrounded myself with? Or perhaps I could swallow it, just this one time, without anyone ever finding out about it? But if I chose that route, I was being dishonest, and this was definitely the “wrongest” time to ever be dishonest! As I entered the church that day I was greeted with warm welcome, a package of goodies, and a church bulletin. However, they to failed to provide a handbook with instructions on how to handle communion calamities. So, I did as any overly-legalistic church-goer would do in my situation. I swallowed it and vowed to never tell anyone what had happened. (Perhaps making foolish vows during communion is also sacrilegious. 😊). However, that day I learned that even in the most sacred of moments, I was still human. I also, could never be 100% prepared of what I might encounter on even the holiest of days.

This past Sunday, as I experienced another communion conundrum… I sat there for a second not sure as what to do, the Pastor, whose church I was visiting (Why do things like this always happen when I’m visiting a church?), began talking about Jesus taking the bread and breaking it during His last supper. Still unsure of what to do, I scanned the floor of the auditorium once more to see if I my wafer was anywhere to be found. If so, I was determined make a dive to rescue it. I could care less whether it bore the marks of a designer shoe. However, my attempt was unsuccessful. Hanging my head in shame, I turned to my wife and said, “Babe, I dropped my wafer.” My wife grinned and without thinking twice she broke hers in half and shared it with me (insert the sound of angelic voices and harps here). This simple act of grace spoke louder to me than anything I’ve heard in a long time.

This is what I learned from that experience…..

Our brokenness always has the potential to help those in need.

Throughout my life I have experienced many heartaches. I have suffered abuse, ridicule, isolation and much more. Some of this was circumstantial. At other times it was directly the consequence of my choices. The greatest repercussion of both has been shame. It wasn’t until recently, that I began to face shame head on, and rediscover the identity that Jesus has given me. Sharing my story with others hasn’t been an easy feat. At times I have faced judgement and my integrity has been questioned. Nevertheless, others have seen my vulnerability as a beacon of hope. I’m always humbled when someone reaches out and shares that they found hope in God after hearing about the hope that He has brought to me.

As my wife shared her communion wafer I saw grace in action. She shared what she had with me. She rescued me from shame. She wasn’t obligated to do so, but she did it anyway. To many, it may be viewed as incomplete. Neither one of us had a complete wafer to ourselves. However, in that moment, it was all that either of us needed.

There is never a moment where we are not in need of grace

Whether you want to admit it or not, you are a consumer of grace.

We all are.

There is not one moment where we are the recipients of a great gift that we did not deserve.

Confused?

Take a moment and take a deep breath…..

Beautiful isn’t it?

Yet you have done nothing to receive the oxygen that you have been given. It is directly a divine gift from up above.

My experience this past Sunday reminded me that even in the holiest of moments, I am still in need of grace. There will never be a day where I will not need God’s grace. So, in response, I give Him gratitude.

It’s OK to look back and laugh

When I look at my life, and all that I’ve been through, I can’t help but believe that God must have a good sense of humor. There are so many awkward and weird moments that I’ve been through. In retrospect, I have a choice. I can either mourn over them, or I can rejoice over them. I choose the latter.

Unapologetically yours,

John Eli Garay

John Eli is a transformational life coach who has spent over 15 years mentoring individuals in life skills, career transitions, and through organizational change. His resume includes pastoral care, behavioral health, and higher-education advising. From an early age, John recognized that God created him to bring hope, healing and encouragement to others. He is currently walking out his purpose by helping others confront, and work through, any negative self-talk that keeps them from living life to the fullest. His ministry includes blogging, speaking, and personal development coaching. He currently lives in Chandler, Arizona with his wife, mini-schnauzer and an antique piano whom he calls, “Betty.”

To schedule a coaching session with John Eli click here.