If you've ever been to church, there's a good chance that you've witnessed people taking communion. It's a sacred time for Christians, an opportunity to remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross and the promise of His return. I grew up in churches that took communion once a month. Now, I go to one where they take it every week.
It's particularly humbling taking communion in the church I now attend since they place an emphasis on everyone being "welcome to the table." You don't have to be a member of that or any church, just a believer. Doesn't matter your race, background, social or economic status, gender, sexuality, or any other possible barrier someone could use to argue that you can't partake in the meal. John 3:16 says that God sent His Son to earth to save the world and that whosoever believes in Him would have eternal life. My church stresses that everyone is a whosoever, period, which I love and am grateful for.
Regardless of how many times and ways I took communion in the past, though, no time was more special to me than last Thursday night. As a part of Holy Week, we had a potluck followed by communion. We all sat at tables pushed together, so everyone was sitting next to someone. When it was time for communion, the pastor handed one woman the plate of bread and a cup of juice. We were then told to serve the person sitting next to us. The man next to her took the bread, dipped it in the cup, ate it, then grabbed the plate and cup and served his neighbor. This was the most I ever felt communion was, well, communal. Every other time, we all take it as individuals. Yea, we're all doing it either at the same time or close to it, but it still feels like a solitary act. That night, though, we all shared it together at a table like Jesus did with His disciples. It was amazing to experience communion in that way.
You shouldn't feel alone when taking communion. You should feel connected with God and everyone else taking it with you. So if you haven't tried taking communion as a group like that before, try it or find your own way to take it with others so that it's more special to you. It'll be a good experience for everyone.
