First Communion - September 8, 2013

My first Communion in the Anglican Church.

I have always wondered about those little round wafers and I honestly thought that I would never experience them. Watching and hearing the Priest hold the wafer high in the air and say, "Behold the body of Christ". Sobering

Today it was if the Communion Service was in slow motion and it was as if I even had a still camera taking the shots. The first still shot was one of him holding the wafer high and the second picture was the wafer in my hand.  I can still see it nestled there. The body of Christ.

I panicked before Communion though. I couldn't remember what it was I had to be sure of before I took Communion. I remembered something along the lines that if your brother had something . . . you had to leave the alter and go to him. Or maybe it was if I had something . . . Then I started realizing that I couldn't remember what I was supposed to be thinking of as I took Communion. Finally a little voice deep inside me said to calm down and listen.

The thing about the Anglican Church is that we are reading from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer so I can read and speak and hear what is going on at anytime. Which reminds me, I'm going to go out to the car and get my Book of Common Prayer so I can write what we say. (And about all this panicking, it was a quiet panic inside of me. Nothing that I should have been panicking about. I know God loves me and He isn't watching to see how many ways I fail. All of the pressure was just me.)

I have almost every single church bulletin except for this one - and this is the one I wanted to keep! I had to message Charlotte and ask her if she kept hers.

This is from the Book of Common Prayer

Ye who do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbors, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways; Draw near with faith, and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort; and make your humble confession to Almighty God, devoutly kneeling.

'take this hold Sacrament to your comfort' . . . and Communion is such a comfort and so solemn. I can't believe I went that long without taking Communion but it was worth it - working and learning so that I could be accepted into the Anglican Community. It wasn't a hardship at all but work that benefitted me clear through my core.