I have no idea what I believe or don’t believe about it but I know I am fascinated by it, this overlap between Heaven and earth. There’s this beautiful line in Letters to Malcom by C. S. Lewis that I keep coming back to: “The command, after all, was Take, eat: not Take, understand.”
This was beautiful. I was raised Catholic, then Baptist, and then married my husband who is a lifelong LCMS Lutheran (on the conservative side - there is a spectrum), and I have found such peace in the way they describe Communion. They allow for the mystery. Do we know HOW it becomes Jesus’s body and blood? No, we don’t. But we acknowledge that His very own words say that it DOES, and we believe Him. The Lutheran phrase is “In, With, and Under” - meaning we acknowledge that Christ IS present, as He says He is, but that we (as humans in this pre-eternal life existence) do not (and maybe cannot) understand how that is true.
My husband always says that we speak where the Bible speaks, and we are silent where the Bible is silent. After years of being in churches that drew their own conclusions on the silent parts, I have found a great peace in being encouraged to admit that we do not and cannot know all things in this life. God does, and that is enough. 💛
Oh, my. The thought of taking in nourishment of communion as that of a nursing child is, dare I say, holy imagery to me. I have nursed five children. An image of my youngest has always stood out to me. She, at two months old , was nursing and looked up at me with the most trusting eyes I have ever seen. Though I knew it in my head, it was a spiritual moment knowing that "she depends on me for everything! 100% trust." I prayed that "like a little child" I would be as innocent and trusting as this in God's care of me. Thank you for this.
Thanks for sharing. My wife and I joined the Catholic Church three years ago after over 40 years as “committed” Protestant Christians. There is nothing more substantial, sustaining, profound and beautiful than experiencing the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist!
This is beautifully written; what's more beautiful is how much this topic has been on my heart and mind lately and I keep finding writing on it. Thank you for writing!
I love this. I have no idea what I believe about transubstantiation, but I love hearing people's stories about God meeting people powerfully where they are at.
Absolutely beautiful Christina 🥹🥹🥹 the image and description of Christ seated at the throne and then seeing him slaughtered on the cross moved me to tears as I sit here on a public bus.
Your experience of shaking hands as you received communion reminds me of Phil. 2:12 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…”. I too was just trembling during worship at church this Sunday singing to Him and imagining Him before me on the throne. When we encounter that holiness, the majesty of His presence, it’s as if our bodies cannot contain it. Praise the Lord. I wish I could’ve been at this service. What a blessing.
And like you, I wish we would not get so caught up in the differences of theology, but rather bow down at His feet and learn from the great Teacher ourselves of what this all means. Thank you for writing!!!!
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU SUBSTANTIALLY ABIDE IN MY HEART
THROUGH MY CONSUMPTION OF YOUR BODY AND BLOOD, LORD JESUS CHRIST
Twelve times, pray this acknowledgement to the LORD JESUS CHRIST in the HOLY OF HOLIES in your heart.
Through my consumption of YOUR BODY AND BLOOD, LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Three times through, pray this series of acknowledgements and inquiries to the LORD JESUS CHRIST in the HOLY OF HOLIES in your heart.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. What does that mean to YOU?
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. What does that mean to me?
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. What does that mean to YOUR creation?
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. What does that mean to humanity, to every human being, to every person I encounter?
MAKE ME WORTHY
Twelve times, pray this series of acknowledgements and petitions to the LORD JESUS CHRIST in the HOLY OF HOLIES in your heart.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. Make me worthy of YOU, SUBSTANTIALLY ABIDING in my heart.
LORD JESUS CHRIST YOU KNOW ME
Know in the biblical sense, knowledge that comes from intimacy between God and me, Theosis.
Three times through, pray this series of acknowledgements to the LORD JESUS CHRIST in the HOLY OF HOLIES in your heart.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I see.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I hear.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I smell.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I taste.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I feel hot.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I feel cold.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I feel pressure.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I feel pain.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I feel pleasure.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I propriocept.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I interocept.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I nocicept.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I balance.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I think.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I emote.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I desire.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I act.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me.
I have no idea what I believe or don’t believe about it but I know I am fascinated by it, this overlap between Heaven and earth. There’s this beautiful line in Letters to Malcom by C. S. Lewis that I keep coming back to: “The command, after all, was Take, eat: not Take, understand.”
This was beautiful. I was raised Catholic, then Baptist, and then married my husband who is a lifelong LCMS Lutheran (on the conservative side - there is a spectrum), and I have found such peace in the way they describe Communion. They allow for the mystery. Do we know HOW it becomes Jesus’s body and blood? No, we don’t. But we acknowledge that His very own words say that it DOES, and we believe Him. The Lutheran phrase is “In, With, and Under” - meaning we acknowledge that Christ IS present, as He says He is, but that we (as humans in this pre-eternal life existence) do not (and maybe cannot) understand how that is true.
My husband always says that we speak where the Bible speaks, and we are silent where the Bible is silent. After years of being in churches that drew their own conclusions on the silent parts, I have found a great peace in being encouraged to admit that we do not and cannot know all things in this life. God does, and that is enough. 💛
Oh, my. The thought of taking in nourishment of communion as that of a nursing child is, dare I say, holy imagery to me. I have nursed five children. An image of my youngest has always stood out to me. She, at two months old , was nursing and looked up at me with the most trusting eyes I have ever seen. Though I knew it in my head, it was a spiritual moment knowing that "she depends on me for everything! 100% trust." I prayed that "like a little child" I would be as innocent and trusting as this in God's care of me. Thank you for this.
Thanks for sharing. My wife and I joined the Catholic Church three years ago after over 40 years as “committed” Protestant Christians. There is nothing more substantial, sustaining, profound and beautiful than experiencing the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist!
This is beautifully written; what's more beautiful is how much this topic has been on my heart and mind lately and I keep finding writing on it. Thank you for writing!
I love this. I have no idea what I believe about transubstantiation, but I love hearing people's stories about God meeting people powerfully where they are at.
This was so beautiful to read. I had tears in my eyes. I felt like I was there with you.
This was just so beautiful Christina, absolutely stunning weaving of imagery and words 💫💛
Absolutely beautiful Christina 🥹🥹🥹 the image and description of Christ seated at the throne and then seeing him slaughtered on the cross moved me to tears as I sit here on a public bus.
Your experience of shaking hands as you received communion reminds me of Phil. 2:12 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…”. I too was just trembling during worship at church this Sunday singing to Him and imagining Him before me on the throne. When we encounter that holiness, the majesty of His presence, it’s as if our bodies cannot contain it. Praise the Lord. I wish I could’ve been at this service. What a blessing.
And like you, I wish we would not get so caught up in the differences of theology, but rather bow down at His feet and learn from the great Teacher ourselves of what this all means. Thank you for writing!!!!
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU SUBSTANTIALLY ABIDE IN MY HEART
THROUGH MY CONSUMPTION OF YOUR BODY AND BLOOD, LORD JESUS CHRIST
Twelve times, pray this acknowledgement to the LORD JESUS CHRIST in the HOLY OF HOLIES in your heart.
Through my consumption of YOUR BODY AND BLOOD, LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Three times through, pray this series of acknowledgements and inquiries to the LORD JESUS CHRIST in the HOLY OF HOLIES in your heart.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. What does that mean to YOU?
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. What does that mean to me?
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. What does that mean to YOUR creation?
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. What does that mean to humanity, to every human being, to every person I encounter?
MAKE ME WORTHY
Twelve times, pray this series of acknowledgements and petitions to the LORD JESUS CHRIST in the HOLY OF HOLIES in your heart.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. Make me worthy of YOU, SUBSTANTIALLY ABIDING in my heart.
LORD JESUS CHRIST YOU KNOW ME
Know in the biblical sense, knowledge that comes from intimacy between God and me, Theosis.
Three times through, pray this series of acknowledgements to the LORD JESUS CHRIST in the HOLY OF HOLIES in your heart.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I see.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I hear.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I smell.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I taste.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I feel hot.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I feel cold.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I feel pressure.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I feel pain.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I feel pleasure.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I propriocept.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I interocept.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I nocicept.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I balance.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I think.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I emote.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I desire.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart while I act.
LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU substantially abide in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me in my heart. LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU know me.
From my book THE SOVEREIGNTY PRAYERS. Amazon books