1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Listen to today’s devotional There's a strange habit in the church. On the biggest days like Christmas or Easter , when our sanctuaries are full, and the energy is high, somebody inevitably asks, “Should we skip communion…to save time?” The apostle Paul doesn’t give us that option in 1 Corinthians 11. Admittedly, he doesn't tell us how often to have the sacred meal. But he does say, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” That means we shouldn't lose sight of something that happens at Communion. We have to stop thinking of Communion as a filler. Scripture says it is its own proclamation. It’s the sermon you can taste and hold. It’s embodied theology because you don’t just hear it, you receive it. And if that’s true, then what are we saying when we skip it on the very days we celebrate incarnation and resurrection, especially just to get people out the door earlier? What are we proclaimin...
John 13:21-32 Listen to today’s devotional On his last night with his disciples, Jesus says some unsettling things. For one, he tells his disciples that“One of you will betray me.” Now, no one in the room seems to get upset or demand that the one fess up. Instead, the disciples look at each other, uncertain. Not one of them stands up and says, “I know exactly who it is.” Which is strange, isn’t it? Because you would think by now, after all the walking and talking and watching, they’d have it figured out. But they don’t. Maybe that's because betrayal doesn’t announce itself. It hides in plain sight, even at the table of grace, which is part of what makes it so hurtful. So the disciples start wondering. “Is it him?” “Could it be you know who?” And if we’re honest, we do the same thing. When we hear Jesus talk about brokenness, failure, or turning away, our instinct is to scan the room rather than search our own hearts. We’d rather point out Judas than acknowledge the places within ...