Communion 3 November 2019

Each time Jesus entered a house

he brought blessing, hope, salvation

to rich and poor

old and young

imagine being in his company

hearing his voice, his laugh

finding out what food he liked or didn’t

then imagine being Zacchaeus

someone despised by everyone

for conspiring with the Romans

for his wealth seen as built on cheating

for being a sinner, the worst of sinners, a tax collector

As he climbed that tree Zacchaeus would never have imagined how life would change

as he would gladly welcome Jesus into his home

would hear Jesus’ voice, his laugh

would hear Jesus call him a son of Abraham and that salvation had come to his house

that same Jesus says to us:

I must stay at your house today”

we have set the table for him

a table not limited to this church

not limited in time and space

for this is the table of the Lord

the table of our salvation

where the Son of Man comes to us

seeking and saving the lost

prayer

Righteous and Holy is the Lord

whose laws are right

whose statues are righteous

he calls to us

follow me

follow my ways, my truth, my path

come, sit at my table

where there is fruit of the vine

where there is bread

made and placed here by human hands

but which will become so much more to us through Christ’s presence as we share together this meal

handed down from generation to generation

until he comes again

Christ Jesus

we bless and thank you we can sit at your table, unworthy though we may be

though our sins are like scarlet

may they become white as snow

may your Holy Spirit descend on us

to cleanse, renew, enliven

and may she also descend on this bread and this wine

that it would become for us, through faith, the means of our salvation, through you being in our house this day, Christ Jesus

we praise and thank you for the communion of saints who have shaped this place and us

whose voices we blend our own with saying:

Holy, Holy, Holy

Lord God Almighty

Heaven and earth are full of your glory

Hosanna in the highest

blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord

Lord Jesus

to you be all blessings, honour and praise

may this bread and wine feed us with your love

that we may seek justice for all your people

so they may know your Salvation

Amen

How did Jesus being at the table affect people?

Some watched him carefully to see what he would say and do.

Some would sit with him, hanging on every word

Some would anoint him with expensive perfume

What about Zacchaeus? He heard Jesus tell the crowd he was a son of Abraham too.

That he was lost, but now found.

That salvation had come to his house. His whole house, not just Zacchaeus.

What an effect having Jesus at his table for Zacchaeus must have been.

And here, in this bread, in this wine Jesus is present with us

here, in the Spirit of God with us, Jesus is with us

at this table, in this place

a table which reminds us that, on the night Jesus was betrayed and after he had given thanks,

he took the bread, broke it and said “this is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Later in the meal, he took the cup and said:

this cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this in remembrance of me.”

for in eating this bread and drinking from this cup, we share in a meal blessed by Jesus presence at it.

We share a meal where we remember Jesus until he comes in all his glory again

for these are God’s gifts for all God’s people

surely, today, salvation has come to this house

Sharing

Blessing

In every encounter with Jesus, people were changed

we, too, are changed.

To remember Jesus

in all we say and do and are

to share love and peace with one another and the world

Amen