I was fortunate enough to serve communion with my wife Jennifer the morning after she was Ordained. As we gave the elements to mostly complete strangers I began to notice the vast range of emotions present. Some looked to be penitent, others robotic, and some even smiled. One observation that the struck me most was how much bread people took, and what they did when they felt they had taken too much. Many took a tiny bit, and some broke off more than they felt they deserved and looked pleading feeling bad for taking so much.
With these attitudes towards communion, take little, feel bad when you take too much I began to wonder... How much of Jesus do we leave on the table? With many things in life we are taught to share, do not take more than you need, or finish what you have before getting more. I recall my Uncle Bob had a "Clean Plate Club" if you take it, you eat it. I feel these attitudes often mix with how we see communion. I do not want to take too much, would not want to deprive someone else. And yet, I feel the exact opposite attitude is transformative. Moving from a view of scarcity to one of abundance, from fear or depriving another to overflowing sense of gratitude and blessing enough for all, from fear of judgement to the hope of mercy and salvation.
Back to serving, it seems like the kids got it, perhaps because the worship service was long(and they were hungry), or perhaps just because the wisdom children have which we often grow out of, many kids dug right in, tore off a big hunk and seemed to actually enjoy communion. There is so much joy and gratitude waiting for us to grab hold, waiting for us to simple let go, dig in, and be ready to be changed.
There is more than enough. Perhaps someone out there has been to a church where they run out of communion elements, where the attendance is so far above and beyond someone had to do a bread and juice run before the service could continue, and a second blessing of the elements, as for me, there has always been more than enough.
Growing up there was a tradition (in the loosest sense) that after communion and most people had filtered out, the Pastor would offer us kids the bread. I am not sure of the theology, or if we had broken some rule, but it felt right. The sacrifice had/has been made, the bread has been broken, why eat a little and run? I believe we are called to return to the table again and again, to live and act into the abundance, and to share not only what is on the table, the amazing transformative news, but well beyond the walls, way beyond blessed elements, as often as we gather to eat a meal, let Christ be there, let Christ be Shared, there is always enough for seconds, both in terms of food and chances. Don't leave Jesus at the Table.
