Thankful Communion--Part 2

I Corinthians 10:14-17
"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread."

November 29, 2013 I flew to Kenya, Africa. My purpose was to speak to the pastors of the Africa Gospel Church in Kenya at their annual pastors conference. The conference was held at the Tenwek Africa Gospel Church. The church could seat about 800 in America, and about 1000 in Kenya.

The AGC has 1700 churches and nearly 1400 pastors. Church plants begin under trees!

The final service on Friday morning was the ordination service. Bishop Rev. Dr. Robert Lang’at, a WBS alumnus, ordained 38 pastors into the AGC. The ordinands knelt on the cold concrete floor for 30 to 40 minutes. The ordinands were from various Kenyan tribes ranging from Kipsigis to Maasai. The ordinands age range spanned from 30 somethings to 60 somethings. The Bishop walked from one ordinand to the next, praying for each, ordaining them to preach the Gospel and shepherd the flock of God. It was a stirring moment.

Once the Bishop concluded ordination, the new reverends took part in their first holy communion as ordained elders. The bread and the wine were distributed to the ordinands. I thought the distribution of the elements complete. The 1200 or so onlookers had not been administered, just the ordinands, their sponsoring ministers, and the bishop. I was astonished by what happened next.  The elements were brought to me! Broken, humbled, I partook.

That day, thousands of miles from home and everything I know and love, I partook of the symbols of the Body and Blood of our Lord with brothers and sisters of another land and language.

Immediately, my mind flashed forward to that day Paul described in Philippians 2: "9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Holy Communion ushered me into the Presence of God where someday we shall hear the sleepless angels proclaim"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" (Revelation 4:8). And we will join the entire created order to "give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever (Revelation 4:9). And we shall cast our crown of faithfulness before the throne of Jesus, crying out with the faithful who have believed in Jesus: "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power!" (Revelation 4:11).