With Eyes Open and Hands Outstretched
by William Willimon
Christians still gather on Sunday in order not to forget, in order to remember who we are and the victory which is ours in Jesus Christ. There, in the sermon and at the table, our eyes are opened and we see. We rise from the table, rushing out the door and into the world with the astounding news: “He is risen.”
Many churches are reviving the ancient practice of standing for communion rather than kneeling. Thus our bodily posture reflects our spiritual stance. When we come into the presence of our Lord, our penitence become joy, our eyes are once again opened to the victory. We stand with eyes open and hands outstretched to receive the victory which is ours in Jesus Christ.
During Lent 2011, we are encouraging the St. Philip the Deacon community to reflect on the Sacrament of Holy Communion — recalling early memories, describing memorable celebrations of Communion, or reflecting on how Communion informs daily life. This post is part of that series. We invite your reflections about Communion, as well. If you would like to submit something for this series, please send it to Pastor Cheryl Mathison at cmathison@spdlc.org.
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