For this week, the group read Chapter 3, "Waiting": Taking Communion has three parts, waiting, receiving, and afterward. The waiting is warming up by making oneself open and receptive, ready for this deeper ritual. Mostly, church-goers are in our thoughts and concepts, reflecting upon the sermon or our baggage (both personal as well as our participation in societal) from the week. The waiting period is critical to become fully real and alive, awake by each raising up our antennas.
We found the author's reflection helpful:
"So part of waiting in Communion is examining what we did last week to find the kingdom of heaven in our midst and to help others find it. I urge you to go both easy and hard on yourself in this regard. You can't just condemn yourself for not doing enough. Join the crowd. None of us does enough. I think it is important to find the things you did do and honor yourself for them, small as they might be." (p. 37)
For next week, please read Chapter 4, "Receiving" (starting on p. 39). Think about how these questions relate:
1. When was the last time you spent an afternoon doing "nothing," the way you did as a child? How did you feel afterward?
2. Why do you think we as a culture have a hard time receiving unearned gifts? How can regularly participating in communion help us to understand God's unearned gift of grace?
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