A Mending Shift

a bird sings, not because if has an answer to give, but because it has a song to sing … this is my song

Should We Serve Terrorists at the Lord’s Table?

This is very moving and powerful 3 min story about the effect praying for ones enemy will have on a community. It really touched a personal chord with me, especially surrounding the communion aspect.

Years ago I made a public declaration that I would not take Communion/Eucharist/Lord’s Supper if people in the gathering were denied access. To me, Communion is like crumbs falling from the heavenly feast and who are we to deny fellow humans? “Put that crumb down, that’s for me!” On a deeper level, I cannot and will not picture Jesus turning sinners away from sharing a meal with Him. Some do, and that is OK. I just won’t participate. I will join those—shunned from the Table—on the couch while the rest of the family eats.

But anyhow, I digress. Here is the video. If we are called to love our enemies, perhaps it starts with praying for them and then serving them…yes, even serving them communion. I can’t wait to join the heavenly feast with a restored Osama, should he choose…

People Of Possibility from The Work Of The People on Vimeo.

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This entry was posted by on Thursday, May 5th, 2011 at 8:57 am and is filed under blessing, Christianity, ethics, forgiveness, God, grace, Jesus, Kingdom of God, love, Questions, transformation, truth, video. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

About The Author

Jeromy Johnson
I live in Folsom, CA, with my wife, Jennifer, and three kids. I am surrounded by and cared for deeply by some great friends. Their love for me is truly a moonlit reflection of Papa's love, and for that, I am deeply blessed and grateful.

Comments

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1388514701 Greg Dill

    I thought the Lord’s Table are only for those who believe in Jesus Christ.

  • http://www.jeromyj.com/mendingshift Jeromy

    Question: Would Jesus refuse to share a meal with a non-Christian? Would he pass the cup by them and say, “My blood and body are not for you.”

    Here are my thoughts…http://jeromyj.com/mendingshift/2008/03/06/fasting-from-the-lords-supper-2/

  • http://www.jeromyj.com/mendingshift Jeromy

    Another way of looking at it is Jesus said “I was hungry and you fed me” … perhaps this is a tangible way we can feed those who are hungry for God’s grace. You know?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1388514701 Greg Dill

    Jesus said “do this in remembrance of me”. And, He said this only to His disciples that surrounded Him at the table. He didn’t say this when He fed the five thousand or at the tax collector’s home. My guess (and I certainly could be wrong) is that the Lord’s Supper, along with baptism, are two sacraments only for those who believe in and profess a faith in Jesus Christ. Would Christ deny the Lord’s Supper to someone who wants to partake? I dunno. But, I do know it was only believers who partook.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1388514701 Greg Dill

    Jesus said “do this in remembrance of me”. And, He said this only to His disciples that surrounded Him at the table. He didn’t say this when He fed the five thousand or at the tax collector’s home. My guess (and I certainly could be wrong) is that the Lord’s Supper, along with baptism, are two sacraments only for those who believe in and profess a faith in Jesus Christ. Would Christ deny the Lord’s Supper to someone who wants to partake? I dunno. But, I do know it was only believers who partook.

  • http://www.jeromyj.com/mendingshift Jeromy

    There were also only men there, so we should exclude women. And those men were all Jews, so I suppose that excludes us as Gentiles.

    I guess my question is, there isn’t a clear mandate either way “invite all” or “exclude unbelievers”, so if I am going to error, I’ll error on the side of love rather than exclusion.

    When it’s all said and done, what do we have to lose? Some questions that help inform me: How does allowing sinners and people we view as “unforgiven” or “unbelieving” a seat at the table effect us as a church/community in a negative way? (It does tend to effect them in a negative way, however). Why would we not choose to error on the side of grace verses on the side of exclusion?

    Again, nothing against churches who exclude…its their decision. But I am OK standing before God and saying, “OK, OK, I was wrong in serving them your meal, Jesus, but I just wanted to love them and thought this would be a good way for them to experience your grace in a tangible way.” Somehow, I think Jesus would be OK with that.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1388514701 Greg Dill

    Good points, Jeromy. I guess the Lord’s Supper was never intended to be exclusive. But, then the question is begged, why would a non-believer partake of the Lord’s Supper if he/she doesn’t believe in Christ’s work on the cross? After all, this is why we commemorate what Christ did for us on the cross through the Lord’s Supper.

  • http://www.jeromyj.com/mendingshift Jeromy

    That’s a great question to ask them. All I know is that there is a church in our area that serves communion to all and all come, even those who are simply searching. It may mean something different, but It must mean something to them. I think anytime we extend grace and invite those to partake, they do. After all, they are at church for a reason. ;-)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jameela-Barnette/100001522807152 Jameela Barnette

    We are ALL Arabs, Except the Jews

    (“I convey to you the Messages of my Lord and give sincere advice to you.  And I know from Allah what you know not.”)

    Allah reveals in the following Verse of the Qur’an the entire earth’s population are descendants of Adam,  with the exception of the Jews, as they are the Children of Iblis aka Israel.

    (O mankind!  Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa] (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and women; and fear Allah through Whom you demand (your mutual rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship).  Surely, Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you.)

    It is revealed in the following Hadith, that Adam spoke Arabic, which means Adam was an Arab, and ALL the Children of Adam are of Arab descent.  And this is the reason Allah sent the Children of Adam an Arab Prophet aka Prophet Muhammad [phuh].

    Narrated Abu Hurairah:  The Prophet said, “Allah created Adam in His Image, sixty cubits (about 30 metres) in height.  When He created him, He said (to him), “Go and greet that group of angels sitting there, and listen what they will say in reply to you, for that will be your greeting and the greeting of your offspring.”  Adam  (went and) said, “As-Salamu Alaikum [peace be upon you].”  They replied, “As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah {Peace and Allah’s mercy be on you).”  So they increased Wa Rahmatullah.”  The Prophet added, “So, whoever will enter Paradise, will be of the shape and picture of Adam.  Since then the creation of Adam’s {offspring} {i.e. stature of human beings} is being diminished up to the present time.

    The dirty-white race is the race furthest removed from the racial purity of our Arab father Adam, and by default, this makes the dirty-white race the morally and melanin depleted garbage race and not the master race, only master fools.  Allah will dispose of the dirty-white garbage race in the manner in which Allah Disposes of the garbage that He has created.  Allah Will burn the dirty-white garbage race in the bowels of the Hell-fire for worshipping a murdered Jew as god, along with their evil Jew masters.  Allah reveals the Jew’s father in the following Verse of the Qur’an:

    (I (Allah) made them (Iblis and his offspring) not to witness (nor took their help in) the creation of the heavens and the earth and not (even) their own creation, nor was I (Allah) to take the misleaders as helpers.)

    ([This is the] Revelation sent down from the Lord of the Alamin [mankind, jinn and all that exists].)

    ([He is Allah] Owner of High Ranks and Degrees, the Owner of the Throne.  He sends the revelation by His Command to any of His slaves He wills, that he (the person who receives revelation) may warn (men) of the Day of Mutual Meeting [i.e. the Day of Resurrection].

    (And to warn those [Jews, Christians, and pagans] who say, “Allah has begotten a son [or offspring or children].”)

    (No knowledge have they of such a thing, nor had their fathers.  Mighty is the word that comes out of their mouths [i.e. He begot sons and daughters].  They utter nothing but a lie.)

    (Your Ilah [God] is One Ilah [God-Allah, none has the right to be worshipped but He])

    (“And indeed, We created man from dried [sounding] clay of altered mud.  And the jinn, We created aforetime from the smokeless flame of fire.”).

    (And I have created the jinn and men only to worship Me).

    (And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.”)

    Jameela
    Messenger of Allah & Defender of Islam

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