Gab brought the house down with this one last night, I'm so proud of her cause it's her first time doing anything like this at church. I'm usually the one up the front, it was wonderful to see the tides turn!
"When I was processing what I should do for communion tonight, I was talking with Dan and he asked me what communion means to me. What came to mind almost instantly was that communion for me is a way of remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice, it”s a way to pay tribute and honour HIs sacrifice. So what I thought would be a good way illustrate my thoughts was through using the movie Saving Private Ryan.
In the movie, it opens with an old man, formerly known as Pt. Ryan, heading to visit one of the thousands of graves at a World War II memorial grave site. Upon seeing a certain grave he stops and begins to think back on an event that obviously changed his life. The movie then heads into the landing at D-day, when Tom Hanks who plays Ct. John Miller is given a special mission to go behind enemy lines and rescue one man. Questions are raised, why are the lives of 8 men worth endangering for one man? As the story continues and a few men have died in the squad, a further question is raised, what is so special about this one man? The squad find him, and defend a town against German attack. During this Ct. Miller is shot just as the battle is won and Pt. Ryan comes up to him and Ct. Miller says “Earn this”.
The lives of 6 men were lost so that Pt. Ryan could be found. The movie ends with this scene...
We all have our own version of Saving Pt. Ryan in our life, in our story. We all have our own Ct. Miller who is Jesus Christ, the word who took on flesh, and came on a mission to save all of mankind. The outcome? We too are saved, we have come home. Communion is our chance to stop and remember that sacrifice.
What I felt was most significant from this was that for Pt. Ryan, the reality of the sacrifice made for him didn’t fully become real until he saw the grave of the Ct. It seems like he was convicted by this reality, he panics and asks himself, did I deserve that sacrifice? Have I lived up to it and earned it?
In Romans 12:1 it says this: And so dear brothers and sisters I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?
As we come to communion tonight we are like Pt. Ryan visiting that grave site, are we living in a way where we are paying back the debt that Christ paid for us. Have we as this verse says given back to God? As we come to communion tonight I encourage you to think about this. Am I a living sacrifice to God?
Finally as the movie closes he salutes the Ct.’s cross, realising that he must continue with living his life the best he can in honour of that sacrifice. He lifts his chin, straightens his shoulders, and snaps a salute almost as if to say I’m back onto it sir, and I won’t let you down.
As we take communion tonight, as we reflect on the sacrifice that was laid down for our freedom will we too commit to living our lives in a way that is pleasing to Him? In a way that makes him proud, and in a way that returns the debt?
So I invite you to the table. "
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