Do this in Remembrance of Me

I attend a church where we use very shiny cups and plates for communion. Recently (not too recent, probably a year ago) I noticed the rapper Li'l John carrying a shiny cup like the one my church uses for communion, except his cup was filled with the real thing (not grape juice), and serves a different purpose.

For whatever reason, I got to thinking about communion, and started asking the question "Have we over spiritualized, possibly idolized communion itself?" Don't get me wrong, I love communion, but I may love it for a different reason. I love communion because I take it in the presence of my Lord, and my community, not because I believe a special measure of grace is extended to me in the act of taking the elements. It serves as a reminder to me and the church that we are united in the body and blood of Christ, and that my brokenness is the brokenness of us all. The salvation of my being is the salvation of us all.

While this is a holy act, I find it rooted in the normality of sharing a meal. What if communion was taken in the context of a church potluck, a small group dinner, or every night around my dinner table with my kids? That seems to be closer to the experience of the disciples than what I only experience 8 or 9 times a year.

Does the shiny cup express the reverance of the act, or the idolotry of our own perceptions and desires for there to be something more happening than what Christ intended. I'm still wrestling it.

While Li'l John might not be able to get enough of his "Crunk Juice", I may not be getting enough communion.