I attended a wedding once… The church was packed, lots of Christian music was played, People sang praise songs, scripture was read, parents got up gave words of advice, and prayed for the couple, the Pastor preached a sermon… It was a little long but then who am to say anything. Vows were exchanged with tons of Bible verses quoted, same with the rings. The Wedding service was dripping with Christianity. When the service was just about over, the couple slowly walked to a little tent parked up on the stage. In that tent was a table, and on the table were a pitcher, a chalice, and loaf of bread. The groom took the bread and broke it, said a few words, which I couldn’t hear, and gave a piece to his bride, then she took the loaf and broke a piece off and give it to her husband- they did the same with the cup. And then they went back to the Pastor who said a benediction and pronounced them husband and wife. They kissed and they left rapidly down the aisle. I was stunned. “Wasn’t this supposed to a Christian wedding? Then I thought, if this Christian couple isn’t going to take the Bible seriously, so that the Lord’s supper is the Lord’s supper, then maybe I should give them a copy of Emily Post. Emily would never have prepared and eaten a meal in front of everyone, without offering something to all her guests.
My son Chris when he was about 4 or 5 used to call Communion Sunday,"Left Out Sunday," because as diligent parents we would not let Chris eat the sacrament until we determined he knew enough so that he could eat it in a worthy manner- as the Apostle Paul recommends in 1 Corinthians 11:27.
We as parents fenced the table from Chris... but how much do you need to know before you can eat, and who draws that line? Clearly what is enough for one set of parents or one congregation or denomination, isn't enough for another. But it isn't just knowledge that fences the table, water may do it- in the form of Baptism, and how much water is needed? A sense of sin and confession may be the fence. There are all kinds of fences we construct around the table to make sure those who eat it, do so in a worthy manner and not be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of Christ. It seems to me that Chris and Emily Post got it right. Whenever we fence the table so that someone is left out, we are guilty of celebrating the Lord's Table in a manner unworthy of Jesus, who are supposed to be remembering when we celebrate the table. Wasn't the whole ministry of Jesus built on destroying the fences between people? I wonder what Jesus thinks when we start erecting them in his honor?
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