christian

It probably does become mundane for a number of people, but Jesus' command to repeat it consistently, reveals there is a divine usefulness in so doing. To not repeat it regularly would be to deny regular spiritual sustenance to those followers of Christ who draw from its sacredness. The Saviour knew how much strength participants would be able to receive from it and how it would help to deepen our relationship with Him. At times I must confess it has been mundane to me as I have just gone through the motions of partaking, but that was my stage of the journey toward Him, not that the ritual was mundane, perhaps I was mundane though!

Reading the replies (sorry I have got behind and am late in posting my own) has been a spiritual experience for me. Nancy Decker's reply especially touched me. Partaking of the bread and wine gives me pause to reflect on His sacrifice for me on a regular basis, in the company and fellowship of other Christians. Whilst I may think of Him at times during the week, this does seem a special time, a ritual which can have power if I accept it. It is this opportunity to meditate on the sacrifice, within the power of this sacrament which has been most vauable to me up to this point in time.

I think there is little I can add to the replies above only to say that I am truly thankful for Christ's laying down his life and being so cruelly broken and forgiving.

I believe all symbols have power, even or especially the everyday words we use. How much more so then bread and wine symbolising our Saviour's flesh and blood. It is our forgetfulness or our ignorance of the symbolism that may be the problem . Just as we can speak words without realising their power so we can use the bread and wine without realising their power. If one believes they are the presence of Our Saviour then one would perhaps be more likely to treat this sacrament with awe. This in turn could help bring a spiritual experience to the participant. Not to say that someone who believes it is purely figurative does not have a spiritual experience but my thought is that believing it is His presence can help it be a sacred moment.

Coming from a tradition which sees the body and blood figuratively it has usually been a reminder to me of the sacrifice that our Saviour made for us. It has also been a moment to seek forgiveness for my sins or I have simply used the time to meditate on things sacred as it is a mystical time for me. Recently I have read and listened to Catholic teachings which have given me pause to think. Reading John 6 and reading that apparently the early records show the christians believed it literally did make me wonder. What a lovely idea that God is literally in me (when one partakes of the wafer) and how even more meaningful it would be to take communion. However the jury is out on that one for me. Hence the reason why I am happy to take this course.