At The Start Of All Things

Last Sunday my church had a guest speaker minister to us. He spoke from 1 Corinthians 11v23-24. It was Communion Sunday. A couple of weeks ago, I read that a church in the US gave out Communion in tin sets. The congregation didn’t partake it until sermon was over.

It’s funny how God transcends places and time. He seems to be saying the same message to His church - Us. Frodo tells Sam in The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, that he is glad that Sam is by his side at the end of all things. In contrast to this, our spiritual journey begins at the cross. We can live life so full because Jesus died for us - at the start of all things.

Milestones
Have you realized that the Israelites of old built altars whenever they had an encounter with God? The altars represented a spiritual event that was significant in their lives.

Similarly, we all have spiritual altars. They mark significant events in our lives. Today, we give it a fancier name. It’s called milestones. Milestones are not meant for us to relish in past glory but to remind us that God can work that same miracle in your life time and time again.

Road Trip
In Spring this year, I took a trip back to the US. I had to transit in Bangkok and while I was waiting for my flight there, I realized that I would be on Thai Airways’s inaugural non-stop flight to New York. When it dawned on me that I was going to be sitting on the FIRST flight there, I was so overwhelmed.

Why? Because I was taking my first trip back to the US after 7 years and it was going to mark such a significant moment for me. To be on an inaugural flight made it more special. The US was a significant place for me in my spiritual life. It was when I was at college that I took my faith more seriously. It was there that I made a real commitment to love and serve Christ. I was going back to the start of all things and I had complimentary champagne to celebrate that!

Similarly, communion is about going back to the start of all things, remembering what God has done for us. That’s why Christ says Do this in remembrance of me.

Revisit
In May this year, I had the privilege of standing at Ground Zero, the site of World Trade Center. Today, all you see is a big pit because they are currently piling for the new WTC called Freedom Tower. As I stood there, I still can picture the different towers that made up WTC. I could still envisage my favorite breakfast place. I could still smell the french toast with fruit and coffee.

It was a special place for me because I had spent many of my visits to NYC having breakfast there with my college friends. It marked the spot where our friendship blossomed.

Communion is a time when we revisit the spot where our spiritual journey first took place - the foot of the cross. When we do that, we can look at our journey of life in a better perspective. Because we remember what Christ did for us - lay down His life.

James 1v17 “Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above.” When we internalize this, can live our everydays relating to God on the basis of His grace alone.