"Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner" - I Cor. ll:17-33 - October 5, l997

There is an advertisement where a rather large guy trots toward his refrigerator with that passion of hunger in his eyes. He opens the door and there is nothing. He then yells at the top of his lungs because of his disappointment. That’s how we feel when the refrigerator is empty or when the cupboard is bare. There is this feeling of despair, emptiness and even anger.

If we don’t get fed when we want to we become desperate people. When you see pictures of starving people, all you see in their eyes is despair and hopelessness. They need nourishment to survive. We all need nourishment. We cannot live without it. When we commune together we are being nourished too, only not just with food. We receive food for the soul.

This past week we had a gathering of the area ministers. We all met for breakfast at the Dorothy Love Retirement Center. I sat at a table with three others. The minister across from me was from a church which was at the opposite end of the theological spectrum. But, as we ate breakfast together we began to get to know one another. He was from my hometown. We knew some of the same people. Suddenly, the fact that we were different theologically didn’t have as much impact.

This is what the Lord’s supper is all about. It is a place where we meet. We are all different, but together. When Paul addressed the church at Corinth he was concerned that the believers were not all together. That was evidenced by the fact that "they didn’t wait for each other." Some just ate, ignoring others who were late or different. Some ate privately as if it didn’t matter whether or not there was anyone else present. They missed out on the nourishment of acceptance and appreciation for others.

The Lord’s supper is not a private devotional event. It is a social gathering, a common event that we all share. It is in the sharing that we come together and that Jesus is known. We are nourished when we can embrace another person who is not like us.

Julie Manhan tells the story (Chicken Soup for the Soul No. 3) about a little boy who wanted to meet God. He went to the park about three blocks from his home. There he met an old woman who was feeding the pigeons. He took out a rootbeer and noticed that the woman looked hungry. He offered her a twinkie and she graciously accepted. The two of them sat there all afternoon, eating and smiling but never saying a word. It grew dark and the boy decided to return home. He gave the old woman a hug and she responded with a huge smile. When he returned home his mother was surprised to see him so full of joy. "What did you do today?" she asked. He replied, "I had lunch with God."

"She has the most beautiful smile I have ever seen." Meanwhile, the old woman, also filled with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned to see such a peaceful look on her face. He asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied, "I ate twinkies in the park with God…but you know, he’s much younger than I expected."

Are we really together? Or is each of us taking communion for ourselves? The Lord’s supper is for everyone. Each one that is here is important. The power of communion and the presence of Christ is made known by our inclusiveness, our togetherness our affirmation and acceptance of all who are present.

We have not earned the right to share from this table. It is not church membership or faithfulness or some identifying mark that gives us a reservation at this table. It is a gift. A gift from Christ which is linked to the death and resurrection of Christ. In other words, when we truly meet others we are burying our prejudices, our grudges, our perceptions of the others who are present. What emerges is new and revitalized relationships in which we are one.

To call the Lord’s supper the "Last Supper" is inaccurate. It is really the "Beginning Supper". It was a time of transformation. A time when the disciples were truly together. They were not competing for a certain seat. All were present and they were being commissioned for ministry. When we celebrate communion we are not acknowledging our goodness or praising our successes. We are placing our lives into the hands of God, trusting in the future wherever it may take us.

Although it is not a meal that we are eating, there is still the presence of food. Whenever people are gathered at a table for a meal, for refreshments or just a cup of coffee something happens that can’t happen in other settings. When we meet over food we have a common bond. The presence of food causes us to listen better and take each other more seriously. Why, I’m not sure. It’s a mystery.

This past week I had the opportunity to go to an orientation meeting at Honda. All the associates were gathered in one room, along with their guests. We took a tour of the plant then reassembled in the conference hall for a time of questions and answers. That didn’t begin, however until everyone had gone to the refreshment table for coffee, sodas, and cookies. Then we got down to serious business.

As I looked around the room I saw men and women, some old and some young, people of color and from many different cities and towns. They were all together with a common purpose. In their case it was producing new automobiles. The production of a quality product is totally connected to their ability to work as a team. They were all different, they were all together, they met over food.

When we experience communion today we are a team. It cannot happen unless the elements are passed from one to another. Like the baton that is passed during a relay race. The event cannot continue unless each does his/her job.

This common meal or "beginning supper" is another opportunity for us to really meet. We can forget those things that make us different and embrace one another with love and acceptance. The refrigerator is full, the cupboard is stocked. May we all feast on the one who gives us life.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul's United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio