Such as These

The journey through Ordinary Time can sometimes feel like driving through the cotton fields of West Texas—fields that stretch for miles and miles toward the horizon with nothing to break things up for the eye. I remember, as a young child, I would look out the window while we drove up into the Texas panhandle to visit family; the monotony was almost dizzying. Beautiful, certainly, yet monotonous. Until suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, we would find ourselves winding our way through the Caprock Escarpment, a canyon that cuts through the flat plains as if inviting you to take a look at the beauty of the earth resting under those never-ending farmlands above. And, if you don’t know it’s coming, the Caprock can be quite surprising!

World Communion is a bit like the Caprock. In the midst of the meaningful monotony of Ordinary Time pops up this liturgical observance that draws us into a deeper encounter with the underlying reality that, around the globe, we, as followers of Jesus Christ, gather every week to worship and celebrate Holy Communion. For all that makes us different from one another, we share in this sacrament that Christ gave us as a means of grace that helps us remember who we are as the Body of Christ. On this Sunday, we remember that we are connected to one another in the family of God through Jesus Christ and that we all come to the Table to share in this Holy Meal as but a taste of the heavenly banquet we all will share in the presence of God.

Imagine how to make the worldwide church a reality for your local church on this Sunday in particular. While every Sunday presents an opportunity to sing the songs of Christians from around the world, it is especially important on World Communion Sunday to include global songs and/or prayers from Christians in other parts of the world. To tie in with the theme of this worship series, you might sing “We Will Follow/Somlandela” (Worship and Song, 3160) or “We Are Marching/Siyahamba” (The Faith We Sing, 2235). Or you could weave a hymn like “O-so-so/Come Now, O Prince of Peace” (The Faith We Sing, 2232) into a prayer for peace and the well-being of the world.

How might the liturgy and the visuals this Sunday reflect the diversity of the globe represented in your community? What languages are spoken in the neighborhood around your church? What family heritages are represented in your congregation? What types of bread can you buy or make that might be eaten around your neighbors’ tables? This is a day to fill the altar and emphasize the generosity and goodness of Christ, the Host of every Holy Communion table. So, fill the altar with bread and juice or representations of wheat and grapes. Make the space a visual cornucopia of the diversity and abundance of God’s creation and the Table where God invites us to take, bless, eat, and drink together. May this celebration draw you and your congregation into the surprising and beautiful depths of what it means to worship as the Body of Christ in different places and yet all at once.