What makes a Thanksgiving dinner truly memorable? The menu qualifies, as do specific food items, centerpieces, or dishware! However, two things make a Thanksgiving Dinner truly memorable:
The worth conveyed, by the host, to those who attend.
The gratitude returned, to the host, by those who attend.
When worth and gratitude are reciprocal, it creates an impenetrable bond of union strengthened by peace, love, and belonging to each other. Such is the nature of the greatest Thanksgiving meal, the Lord’s Supper!
Jesus gave the Apostle Paul the script for our observance of the Lord’s Supper. In 1 Corinthians 11, we are reminded that Jesus thanked God for the bread and the cup. Was he grateful for the bread itself and the juice as juice? Not if we consider what they point to. The bread and cup point to his loving willingness to die in our places for our sins. Jesus was thankful to God for his own part in the plan to save us from sin. So, the next time we hear an invitation to come to the Table, we must attend as a mass demonstration of our gratitude to him. The worth conveyed to us by Jesus, and our gratitude makes the Lord’s Supper a genuinely memorable Thanksgiving Dinner.
The Lord’s Supper is a means of God’s grace. We must approach the Table with humility, self-examination, confession of sin, and union with others who also come to the Table. There is a way to participate in the Lord’s Supper, and it looks like:
Washing your hands before eating.
Forgoing junk food and coming to the Table with a good appetite for spiritual things.
Being in harmony with others at the Table.
Being grateful to God as Jesus was thankful, to offer our lives in service to others
Leaving the Table with a purpose to pursue righteousness and to make disciples.
Listen to Pastor Paul’s sermon to understand the meaning and scriptural basis for each item on this list. Looking ahead, the Spirit calls us to our Lord’s Table on Christmas Eve morning. Come that morning to be reminded of your worth to Jesus. Come that morning to give thanks alongside others whom Jesus deemed worthy to die for. This is how we give thanks to God for the broken Savior who was dead, buried, and raised from the dead!
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