“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves.”1 Corinthians 11:27-29) “This is the Word of the Lord,” the minister said, and proceeded to prepare the elements for distribution.
And it was the Word of the Lord addressed to Edgar Porter as he sat in his pew ready to receive Communion. He had not thought about Communion before coming to worship. In fact he had not thought much about church either. He had come out of habit but his mind was elsewhere during most of the service. But those words of Scripture seem to burn within him. For the first time in his life, he actually wondered whether he was prepared to receive Communion.
As a child, I found this one of the most troublesome passages in the Bible. I did not see how I could be worthy and yet I did not think that it would be quite right to pass the cup without drinking. Hence, I dreaded Communion as it was a ticket straight to hell. I have matured a little since then and now feel that the bar is a little lower than I once thought but it doesn’t erase those childhood memories. I am pleased that you are addressing this particular subject(maybe I was right the first time).
The Corinthians passage has always been problematic for me. When I was a child, I didn’t feel worthy but felt that it was necessary to partake when the wine and bread were passed. If a child is a little too serious this seems like a ticket straight to hell. Hence I dreaded Communion. I have lightened up a bit over the years( probably another ticket) but childhood memories remain. This is only to say that I am glad that you are addressing this subject and look forward to reading your future entries.