A meal that proclaims
by Mark Whitfield
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For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:26).
When you come to the Lord’s table, you are not simply receiving bread and wine. You are receiving Christ himself – his forgiveness, his grace and his life. At the same time, you are joining in a proclamation that has echoed through the centuries: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
In Māori, the words are beautifully simple: ‘Ko te tinana o te Karaiti mō koutou’, which means in English, ‘The body of Christ is for you.’
Those words are deeply personal. Christ gives himself for you, for your forgiveness, your healing, your strength and your hope. Whatever burdens you carry, whatever joys or sorrows fill your heart, Jesus meets you here with his love.
Paul wrote these words to Christians in Corinth who had forgotten that receiving Christ’s gifts changes how we live with one another. Some were being overlooked, while others thought only of themselves. Paul reminds us that the Lord’s Supper is never just about ‘me’; it draws us into Christ’s body and opens our eyes to others.
As you receive Christ’s self-giving love, you are also invited to reflect that love in your daily life – in kindness offered, forgiveness given, a listening ear, a word of encouragement or care for someone who feels lonely or forgotten.
Each time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. And through your words, actions and love, your life can also proclaim the grace of the One who gave himself for you.
Lord Jesus, thank you for giving yourself for me and feeding me with your grace. Shape my life by your love, so that I may share your kindness and welcome with others. Amen.
Pastor Mark is a Kiwi and loves being pastor of St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Ōtautahi (Christchurch) on New Zealand’s South Island. He is bishop emeritus of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand (LCNZ), has served on the LCA Commission on Worship and represents the LCNZ on the Roman Catholic–Lutheran Dialogue Commission. He is married to Leanne and is dad to Chelsea (and Tim), Brittany and Charlotte. A musician (organist, pianist, singer and composer), Mark also enjoys gardening, making people laugh and following sport, especially cricket and rugby. And when the opportunity arises, he loves eating rollmops on fresh bread with his father-in-law, Kevin.
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