The Importance of Communion

We have noted that the life is in the blood (see Leviticus 17:11). If we want the life, we must appropriate the blood. We do that by taking Communion, as well as by the word of our testimony.

To me, this matter of taking Communion has become extremely important. Paul quoted Jesus in 1 Corinthians 11:25, saying:

“This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Many churches think that says, “As seldom as you do it.” Some of the most beautiful services I have ever attended were liturgical Communion services; they were so beautiful because they held on to that fact.

At one point, my wife, Ruth, and I came to the conclusion that we were not taking Communion as often as we should. As the priest of our home, I decided we would have Communion every morning during our time with the Lord. I am not saying that every Christian should do this, but I am thankful that we did. We would have felt that something had dropped out of our lives if we had omitted it.

Every day, when we took Communion, we would say, “We receive this bread as Your flesh, Lord, and this wine as Your blood.” I would do this in a simple, specific way, saying, “Lord, we are doing this in remembrance of You; we are proclaiming Your death until You come.” In Communion, we have no past but the cross, no future but the coming. We do it in remembrance of the cross until Jesus comes. Let this compel us to consider whether we are really availing ourselves of the life that is in the blood.