Celebration to Ceremony

This is one statement from a list on my last post that I would like to chew on a bit more. There may be others to come.

 The Lord's Supper has changed from a celebration to a ceremony.

Is this a valid statement or not? To answer this, we must look to the early church, what did the breaking of bread mean to them? Did they pass around a plate full of crackers? No, they had a meal. They shared life together.

Yet from the start, it became corrupted. Some where always the first in line to get the best food, others drank more than enough and even became drunk. That was not the purpose! If you're that hungry, eat a snack first!

The Lord's Supper was instituted in a somber moment, when Jesus ate the Last Supper with the 12. But it took on a different meaning after His resurrection. It was now a memorial of the greatest event in history, of Christ's victory over death and sin. A memory of His suffering, yes, but also of His glory. How can such an event be remembered and not be celebrated? But is that what we do when we partake? Some do for sure, but others? Where do the majority land? Where do I land?

It is easy to fall into the routine. That is the reasoning for some not partaking in the Lord's Supper on a weekly basis, but rather doing it monthly or quarterly. But in truth, are they any better off when it comes to just performing a ceremony. Paul warns us to examine ourselves prior to partaking. What is our reasoning, our motivation? Where do we stand before our God and in relation to our fellow Christians? That sounds like something I need on a daily basis!