Please Come to the Table!

In such a time of uncertainty and quarantine, with so much fear, isolation and panic, one of my friend's dog reminded me that great company and laughter is the best medicine after all...and beside his dog is a cutie and a blessing ( see for yourself below) And speaking of great company, to me, Jesus always has the best company ever...why do I mention Jesus? Well, something amazing has happened to me recently. Let me start with that growing up I always loved communion, raised in the Catholic and Orthodox Church, communion was still something as mystical, as stunning...I loved the Catholic communion bread, as much as I loved the bread and wine, that the Orthodox Church offered. Walking down on the church aisle, and receiving the bread and wine, it always made me feel special and loved...it made me feel that I belonged, that I was loved, that I matter...it infused powerful feelings and memories in me, which I could carry with me through the years. Back to the present, I love that my church has communion every single weekend, but I also have to be honest that somehow I lost that special connection with my communion; it became more of a tradition than a relationship. As with everything now, with the church being online, I sure started to miss communion as part of my life. And as I was thinking about it, I "stumbled" over some materials about having communion at home. How we need to remember that communion is not a ritual to be observed, but a blessing to be received, the healing power of fellowship, and how we can experience it as a powerful gift, even when we are just taking it by ourselves. This has to be a heart connection, a real heart experience, involving feelings and the heart, besides just understanding, the mind, and logic. These different aspects of the communion really intrigued my heart, so I was game for giving this a try. I started to take communion every night before bedtime. And slowly I began to make every evening a connection between communion and what was crucified on that cross, like sickness, shame, worry, fear, insecurities, the past, the future, hurt, brokenness, you name it. I am learning to connect my heart with what I feel and struggle,as I know that Jesus carry them on that cross. I can tell you that this is beyond a fantastic experience: the heart connection with Jesus, the freedom and healing after communion, the revelations that are coming from this experience, communion will never be the same for me. What is the stunning disclosure here? Might you ask? We believe that if Jesus took all the sickness and curses on that cross, it's all done; communion is the reminder, so what is the big excitement here for you, Melinda? Well, I've learned something super stunning with this experience....I've learned that just because Jesus did all of that, it does not mean I reap all of the benefits from it. It is like writing a check to someone; the process depends on that someone cashing the check. He wrote the check for sure, but that doesn't mean that everyone cashed it. And of course, a check is only a piece of paper till it is redeemed, once redeemed and cashed, only in that moment it becomes valuable to the recipient. And about my personal experience...During my communion time, my heart experience is beyond my words could explain; the connection is real. Every single time I am able to connect my feelings and heart with what was done on that cross, like having shame, sickness, fears, uncertainties,hurts that I carry crucified on that cross, all crucified with Christ...every night I pick something, and I experience God's heart, and love for me, the finished work on that cross...communion became more than just a symbol, the focus is Jesus, and when I take communion, I feel a special connection with Him...like a waterfall when a series of rivers flowing in all the right directions... in that moment I experience a connection to Jesus that causes life, hope, love and joy to come on inside of me. "There is more than what I see here, and there is more than earthly dreams, there is Heaven to be found here if I am still enough to see...How beautiful this life can be when there is more of You and less of me" (CCV music) Communion: "the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level." (Dictionary)

Bentley as promised