Communion

I've been going to blog about this for a week or so now, but with other exciting things happening, I've not gotton around to it.

On the last night of camp at Halls Gap, we had a church-type service which included communion. The communion talk given on this night, painted communion in a whole new way for me.

The humanity of Jesus is often lost within Christianity & religion. Communion is a very good example of this. What do you do when you're about to leave your home base on any sort-of long journey? Alot of people hold going-away parties, so that they can say good-bye to those closest to them. At the very least people will catch-up with all thier closest relatives and friends. Jesus was no different. It is Jesus last night before being arrested and eventually crucified, and he knows this. So what is he doing with his last night of ministry? How did Jesus spend his last free hours on earth? He wasn't out healing the terminally ill, forgiving & talking to prostitutes or condemming the actions of religious leaders, as he'd become famous for. Nor was he delivering that one last 'this is how I want you to live' message. No, he spent it having a meal with his closest friends. He even states in Luke 22

"I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."

Or to put it in the way I understand it "I've been looking foward to eating this meal tonight guys, it's the last one I'm getting untill I've been raised from the dead." (Which was still 3 days away) So Jesus is about to have his last meal with his disciples, a meal which has extra significance, because it is the Passover, an important celebratory meal in the Jewish tradition. He then takes bread, a staple food of his time, and still a staple food now & breaks it. He similarly takes wine, a common drink then, and a common drink now & gives it to his closest friends as is recorded in 1st Corinthians 11:

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

So Jesus is telling his closest friends that whenever you eat bread & drink wine, remember him! Not once a week, or once a month. But every time you eat bread or drink wine, which in those days, would've been almost every meal. Jesus intended communion to be a normal thing for his followers to do. Eating a meal, remembering Christ. A normal daily occourance. When Jesus instituted what we now call communion, I think he meant more that a semi-formalised ritual undertaken weekly or monthly.

Anyone understand what I'm trying to get out of my head into words?

How Deep

How Deep The Fathers Love for Us

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He would give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross
My guilt upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no powr's, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

©1995 Kingsway's Thankyou Music
Words and Music by Stuart Townend

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Mt (Easter) Bunny

It seems whenever my life get busy with things like: Uni, Assignments, Empty Chair, Going Home for the weekend and IBM.
I become slack in the following areas: Eating well (if at all), Sleeping well (if at all), exercise (Squash), quiet times seeking God, shaving, general room cleanliness and blog posting.

Now I have 2 weeks holidays, it's time to make amends for at least one of the above.

I've had an amazing couple of weeks. I'm feeling God starting to move in my life in a way that I haven't seen in years, probably since the end of Year 12.

It all started with my class getting an extension for the previously mentioned AI assignment. I wasn't gunna be able to do it, and had no idea what it was on about. So I rock up to the Lab before it was due, not knowing where to start with the thing. Lecturer then saw that a couple of us where struggling with it, and gave us an extension for 1 week to get on top of it. I knew in that moment it was God, and that I was gunna get the assignment handed in. I did hand it in a week later, albeit only bare-bones complete. But you know what they say, P's get degrees.

Another awesome moment, and the inspiration for my blog title, was Tuesday night, where a whole bunch of young adults from York St went up to Mt Buninyong. The purpose, to reflect on Easter and all that it meant. We sang a couple of songs, had a bible reading or 2 and had communion. All up the top of the Mt. Bunny tower. Despite the fact that it was REALLY cold, I had an awesomely refreshing time. It was good to be in such a scenic spot where we could pray and be somewhat 'free' up there.

Today, being the best of Fridays, I met Tiarnee at Serviceton and we went to church. It was a simple service, and again was really nice to sit and reflect upon everything that's been happening, and of course, Easter and all that it means for me. Then this afternoon, Tiarnee and I watched 'The Passion of the Christ'. It affected me differently to the first time I saw it, less shocking I suppose, being 3 years older and having seen it before, but it was just as gripping. I felt a helplessness as I watched the movie. Not helpless because I was unable to stop the pain that Jesus felt, but helpless because that I know if I'd lived in that time and culture, I would've been apart of the angry mob.



So over all the above, I'm thankful. Life is so full for me at the moment. Each turn is an exciting one, forming a future that I don't yet know and am discovering only one day at a time. It would be a cliché to say "I can't believe it" because it is happening. I don't deserve all that I have been blessed with. The only reason I can think of for this, is that I'm loved. Beyond description and beyond measure.

Oh & BTW, I'm going to Adelaide next week for a group interview for a potential post-graduate position. Praise God!