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Just recently, I made a short animated video to promote

St Lukes. As this has proved popular on the web, I
thought I might try my hand at one on communion. But
then a question struck me. And it is what is sacrament
of Holy Communion really all about?

Well, of course, I would start by explaining that

essentially it is the re-enactment of the Last Supper
between Jesus and his followers. Then I would go on to
mentioned that it is therefore an eternal reminder of
Christ sacrificial death. In other words, this meal
symbolises Jesus offering his life up to his disciples and
his followers; past, present and future.
By now the viewer of my video clip could be saying
Thats all fine and dandy. But why did Jesus have to
sacrifice himself in the first place?
And that would lead into the idea of his death on the
cross being the ultimate point when evil and malfeasance
were defeated. Needless to say, this supreme acts
victory over badness works across a personal and global
canvas.
It is at this point, we might decide to introduce a more
practical image.
So instead of going further into salvific theology, I would
rely on the aura of this holy mystery. Put simply, I would
portray Communion as creating the most sacred moment
in Christianity no matter what your tradition. Some

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viewers would say that they find God in the hills and the
valleys, others when with friends and family. But none
equal this moment at the Lords Table for his abiding
presence.
By now, the video clip viewers attention span would be
fast running out. Time, indeed, to wrap up our movie epic.
And what better way than concluding with the idea that
communion is our act of thanksgiving.
Role credits message finished!

Yet there is a nagging doubt as the words The End appears on the screen. Since maybe I should have gone
on to explain the how of communion?

What indeed would we put in our videos sequel?

Well the answer to the question lies in our Psalm for

today. For it starts by reminding that if we want to be
ready for the presence of God, we need to wait. If we
want to enter the presence of God, we need to wait. If we
want to have communion with God, we need to wait.
Bartimaeus too had to wait for the Christs presence and
communion. So if we want to teach anyone about
communion then we need to mention waiting.
Now of course there are various types of waiting. There is
the vacant and soulless waiting for a bus or train. There is

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the anxious and dread-filled waiting for examination or
test results. But there is also the better type of waiting;
the Christmas type of waiting if you like, the waiting in
anticipation of Gods timetable and the waiting in
enthusiasm for the Christs presence in communion.

Yet the Psalm goes on and talks of trust. Also Bartimaeus

showed trust. Since when Jesus asked him what he
wanted he replied I want see. And in that instant he
implied trust, he expressed trust and he trusted in trust.

As we approach the Lords Table we too must have trust if

we want to be thankful for Christs trust in his father. The
trust to bring him through death to resurrection.

And we do that best by playing the movie in our heads of

our past when we have proved that God has listened, that
God has acted and when God has done wonders. When
indeed we have had our sight restored, our wholeness
returned and our lives healed.

Finally, there is one supreme act of doing communion. It

is there in the last lines of our Psalm. It is there in the last
lines of Bartimaeus story. It is there in the word
proclaiming. Since if we are genuinely thankful this day
for communion then we must proclaim it by following

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we must proclaim it by giving witness we must, above
all, proclaim it by staying together in continuing
fellowship. Because have we not heard?

I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness

In the great assembly;
Indeed, I do not restrain my lips,
O LORD, You Yourself know.
10
I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your loving kindness and Your truth
From the great assembly.

Yet why this need to stick together? Why this need to pull
together? What is the power and strength of the great
assembly?

Well Brett Blair at Sermons.com talks of Redwood trees.

This is what he says:

Though I have never seen the Sequoia trees of California,

known as Redwoods, I am told they are spectacular. They

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tower as much as 300 feet above the ground. Strangely,
these lofty trees have unusually shallow root systems
that spider out just under the surface of the ground to
catch as much of the surface moisture they can. And this
is their vulnerability. Storms with heavy winds would
almost always bring these giants crashing to the ground
but this rarely happens because they grow in clusters and
their intertwining roots provide support for one another
against the storms.

Here then is the ultimate key and fruit of communion.

For we may say - like the psalmist I desire to do your

will O Lord and want to give thanks at my succeeding. We
may like Bartimaeus be tested in life and wish to give
thanks for passing through. We can see the good and
bad scenes in our own personal movie and want to give
thanks for its overall glory.

And we will indeed give that due thanks if we remember

those giant Sequoia trees.

Since then in communion we can support and be

supported in those difficult times by the touch of one
another's life. Since then in communion we know that we

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are not alone. Since then in communion we will grow
together from the depths and ever upwards towards
towering heights in Christ.