Our apocalyptic meal

You ever had an apocalyptic meal? Jesus invites us to share a mysterious meal with Him and each other. And this meal could very well mean the end of the world as we know it.# Big Ideas- Communion is one of the most important and helpful things we get to do as Christians- It is spiritual - we consume the presence of Christ, actually participating in him, and remembering the incarnation - that God came to be fully human so that he could make us fully like him. - It is material - not magic, but real. The food reminds us that all our hunger is for him. - It unifies us. We all receive the same grace of God together- It is CELEBRATION!!! It is our high feast together. # Questions- How have you understood communion up to this point? - How would communion feel different if it was mysterious and spiritual? - What do you want to think about the next time you take communion? - Read this poem together. What sticks out to you? # Read This### Love (III) George HerbertLove bade me welcome. Yet my soul drew back                               Guilty of dust and sin.But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack                              From my first entrance in,Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,                             If I lacked any thing. A guest, I answered, worthy to be here:                             Love said, You shall be he.I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,                             I cannot look on thee.Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,                             Who made the eyes but I? Truth Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame                             Go where it doth deserve.And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame?                             My dear, then I will serve.You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat:                             So I did sit and eat.Questions - Do you think that God's love for you can just be love? That it doesn't have to come tinged with disappointment or punishment? - Think about the idea that the cross was not God needing to punish someone, but instead him going to incredible selfless lengths to unite himself to you and heal you? - What would change about your view of God if you remove the idea that he will punish you without Jesus? - Can you accept that God really is love, all love, for everyone? Why or why not? Would that change your outlook toward other people?Questions - Are you convinced that spirituality IS love? Why or why not? - Do you think that we are only able to fully experience spirituality through relationship with other people? - Do you feel more urge to invest in relationships if they're critical for your experience of God?