Last weekend I had the pleasure of spending Father’s day with my own Daddy. We made the drive to Houston for a little mini vacation. They have a pool so we got to spend 5 days playing and relaxing in the water. I think my children are little water bugs.
While we were there we also had the privilege of attending church with my Father and his bride. It also just so happens to be the Church where my sister and her husband not only attend, but where my brother-in-law is the campus pastor and worship leader.
This Sunday ended up being a little extra meaningful to me. Their church does communion in a rather neat and unique way. Rather than passing the elements down the rows, they have a few couples stand up front. One has the loaf of bread and the other a “chalice” with the grape juice.
As the bread is served to you these words are spoken, “This is the body of Christ, broken for you.”
And as you dip your piece of bread into the wine…. “This is the blood of Christ, shed for you.”
And we take the communion in remembrance of the one who died to redeem us.
And while taking communion is a gift and something so incredibly special in and of itself, this Sunday …. was even more near to my heart… because one of the servers was my Daddy.
I don’t every remember in all of my years as a Christian being served this way by my dad. I know he has NO idea, but as he served me communion that morning, I had to choke back tears.
As my daddy said those words, “this is the body of Christ broken for you,” a flood of emotions overwhelmed me. There was something so incredibly special about having the man who raised me and gave me my foundation in Christ, utter those words as he handed me the bread to eat in remembrance of my savior.
As I went back to my seat and quickly wiped away the tears, I knew it was one of those moments that I would have engrained in my heart forever.
I know I don’t say it nearly enough, and maybe I have never said it at all… but I am so thankful and grateful for my earthly father that loved me enough to show me the way to my heavenly father.
Linking up today with Beholding Glory, Pieces of Amy,
I love this post. It made me giggle a little though to think of this as a new way to take communion (or different) aside from dipping the bread (we would drink from the cup and have it wiped in between) growing up Lutheran this is how they ALWAYS did communion at my childhood churches.) I love the idea of dipping the bread though. Communion is emotional for me to begin with, and I think your sentiment here is just beautiful.
From looking at your side bar I think we share the same heart about a lot of things!
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Kelly – I know… isn’t it funny… I grew up in the non-denominational Christian Church and we ALWAYS just passed the trays that had the bread and the grape juice. It wasn’t until I attended a Walk to Emmaus weekend and they did communion this way that I was introduced to this new way. It was so neat.
Thanks for your sweet words. It was such a special moment!!
Aww how special is this!! I would not be able to say the same about my Daddy. My Daddy now attends church every time the doors open, and walks with Him. But, that wasn’t the case when I was growing up. My step mom took me to church, but a relationship was not lived in front of me. I look at my children and I thank God that he is the earthly father that has led them to their Heavenly Father!!
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Piper, how wonderful that your children have such a great example of an earthly father that points them to our heavenly one. I also LOVE that God can work in our hearts and bring us to HIM despite our upbringing – you are such a wonderful example of that!