It isn’t that the communion glasses overflowed. It’s that Margaret, one of my four crazy friends, went to a few thrift stores to buy small glasses we can use for communion at our Gatherings each Sunday. But the Holy Spirit overflowed as Margaret shopped. She decribed it in an email.
Hi Stan and JoAnn, I thought that it might interest you to know that one of your crazy friends is using your comment about liking to use real glasses for communion as an “opener” for witnessing.
Yesterday I went to 6 thrift stores as I went about my errands. I was looking to build a set of glasses for your house church. Unfortunately there were very few really small glasses (I haven’t given up of course).
However in explaining what I was looking for and why, I was able to use it to lead into talking about the Lord and about what the communion service is really about. Had several opportunities to witness.
In particular one young woman became very excited about the idea of taking communion in this way. She is on fire for the Lord and is about to set up house with a group of other Christian women in SLO. She is going to lead them into making this practice of sitting around the table and honoring the Lord’s death and sharing with one another about Him a part of their communal life. She is also going to start assembling sets of communion glasses and small dishes to give them as birthday or Christmas gifts because she says she knows how much her friends will be so blessed as they take communion together, honoring the Lord and sharing about Him, that they will want to continue it throughout their lives. She was so excited with what she saw ahead that I realized that God was dealing with her and opening an aspect of ministry for her (one to one and in small groups) where she could be an encourager and nurturer/teacher. As I spoke to her I remembered your teaching about speaking into stranger’s lives regarding an aspect of what the Lord plans to do through them.
This morning on waking I got one of those butterfly nudges – so tentative and easily missed, which is one of the ways God gives me instructions regarding my day, and it was to pray for Joan, one of my stepdaughters. I couldn’t get anything specific so I phoned her. We had a prayer time and sweet fellowship by phone, then I told her what I had been doing. She also was very excited about the concept of taking communion in her home with friends. She is about to start a study group and this idea caught on with her and she is planning to get the glasses immediately. We all know that it is not about the glasses, but is about honoring the Lord and making the “remembering the Lord’s Body” not just a Sunday requirement but a part of when we come together at all sorts of times. It can lead to deeper sharing, to meaningful prayer for one another, and to listening to and ministering to the Lord with a depth and sweetness that goes beyond structured services and routines. See what you have started?
On the practical side – the selection of small stemmed glasses was limited, but because people behind the counter were caught up in the idea and enthusiastically helpful, I ended up with quite a few functional (but not what I had in mind) small stemmed glasses. I have washed them and will bring them for you to select from and build your own set. I thought about the mismatching, but them it occurred to me that we are such an assorted bunch – tall, short, – all different types and personalities, but having in common the content of the Savior, just as the mismatched glasses will carry the blood of the Lord representing His gift common to all of us. Also – who knows how big the group will get and we may need quite a few glasses.
This is rather long-winded but I hope that it blesses you. Love, Margaret.
Stan Smith :: © 2011, GospelSmith :: www.GospelSmith.com
