The Eucharist is True Evangelism
Posted by Rev. Dr. Lance Giuffrida on 08/06/2008
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
One of the questions the Church Growth movement sought to answer was “Why do people come to church?” Survey after survey brought back the same answers. People come to church for a variety of personal and social reasons. Some of the answers were so painfully obvious one wonders why surveys were necessary at all. For example, many replied they came to church because it made them feel better, they felt energized for the week. Others said the sermons and the singing provided inspiration for their walk in Christ. And still others responded church attendance was an anchor for their family. These are all wonderful reasons for attending church; in fact, I can think of no bad reason for coming to worship God and fellowship with one another. But I wanted to give you one more reason, a scriptural reason that did not appear on the surveys at all.
In his first epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul writes-For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Cor 11:23-26 NIV)
There can be no doubt whatsoever that here St. Paul is speaking of the Holy Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper as we know it. The Tradition of celebration is ancient-For I received from the Lord what I passed on to you…. Christians have participated in the Eucharist from the beginning and the words we say in the Eucharistic prayer are the same words Jesus taught us to say. To participate in this celebration of new life, the body and blood of Jesus, is not only a joy it is a privilege. I suspect this comes as no surprise to any of you. However, perhaps the last verse quoted does startle: For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
What exactly does St. Paul mean when he says our participation in the Eucharist is a proclamation of Jesus’ death? In the New Testament, proclamation is preaching. This is the same word used when St. Luke writes “when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.” (Acts 13:5 NKJV) It is the same word used when St. Paul writes, “The Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.” (1 Cor 9:13-15 NKJV) In every sense of the word, our participation in the Holy Eucharist is evangelism. When you offer the responses and come forward to receive, you are preaching the Gospel; you are doing the work of an evangelist.
Coming back to the original question, why do you attend church, it seems to me we must add to our responses I come to church to fulfill my baptismal promises. We promised to proclaim in word and deed the good news of God in Christ: “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
Fr. Lance
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