State of the Church - Communion - 1 Corinthians 11

“I Love You. I Forgive You. Dinner Is Ready.”

Some Sundays, the Word hits a little deeper. Maybe it's because of what we’re walking through. Maybe it’s what we’re carrying, silently and heavily. Or maybe it’s simply because God decides it’s time for us to be reminded of something we’ve forgotten in the routine.

This week was one of those Sundays.

We began with the recognition that every one of us is carrying something. Grief, disappointment, anxiety, or maybe even shame. And into all of that, God speaks through His Word and whispers a truth we all long to hear: “I love you.”

A recent survey asked people what three phrases they most want to hear. The top three? “I love you.” “I forgive you.” And — surprisingly, but maybe not so surprisingly — “Dinner is ready.”

That may sound humorous at first, but think about the meaning behind each of those phrases. To be loved. To be forgiven. To be welcomed. These are core longings in all of us — and they are all fulfilled in one place: at the table of communion.

More Than a Ritual

For many of us, communion has become routine. A box we check every Sunday. Something we do because that’s what we do. But communion was never meant to be just a ritual — it was meant to be rich. It’s not a side element of our worship service. It is the centerpiece. It’s not just symbolic. It’s spiritual nourishment.

The Table of Communion is where Jesus meets us and says, again and again:

“I love you. I forgive you. Dinner is ready.”

It’s also a covenant — and that covenant has deep, ancient roots.

A Blood Path to Grace

In the Old Testament, covenants were sealed with a blood path. Two parties would take animals, split them in two, and walk between them — symbolizing the seriousness of the commitment. If either side broke the agreement, the consequence was death.

In Genesis 15, God makes a covenant with Abram in this exact way — only something strange happens. God walks the path alone. He commits not only to His own faithfulness, but to taking the punishment if we’re unfaithful.

Fast forward to the New Testament, and Jesus does exactly that. We — the unfaithful party — break the covenant. And Jesus takes our place.

“This is my body, broken for you.”
“This is my blood, shed for you.”

He became sin, though He knew no sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God.

Communion as Remembering

When we receive communion, we don’t just remember Jesus intellectually — we are spiritually re-membered. That which was dismembered in us is put back together. Our shame is replaced with love. Our guilt is replaced with grace.

So today, as we approach the table, we prepare our hearts. We confess what needs confessing. We surrender what needs surrendering. And then we hear it again, clearly and personally:

“I love you. I forgive you. Dinner is ready.”