Ministering a Person

I've been thinking a lot this week about the current topic of our internship program: "ministering the word." We've been talking about serving the congregation at our church with the truth of the scriptures in a public venue (preaching) and in private (counseling). But I have been pondering something, and it was articulated by a wonderful pastor who spoke at a table-talk forum Monday night. He was talking about the fact that we, as ministers of the gospel, are ministering a person to other people. To say it in another way, we are administering Jesus to people through the scriptures.

This really got me thinking about Communion as another ministry of the Word. What I'm a bit concerned about in my denomination is that we've done such a good job at emphasizing the primacy of scripture that we've neglected a fundamental aspect of "administering Jesus" via the Eucharist (or Communion or the Lord's Supper/Table or what-have-you).

Here, in the breaking of bread and pouring out of wine, we have the clearest God-Given, Jesus-Authorized, communal, multimedia presentation of the gospel. (Yes, baptism has its wonderful place, but let's be honest...it is not as multi-sensory and especially not communal in the same way as sharing food and drink together.) This is ministry of the Word himself - an administration of Jesus that has special significance. But what are we, as Baptists especially, doing with it?

We tend to sequester it to a quarterly function, or deprive it by giving very little teaching on it, or economize it by using boxes of "bread" and pre-fab packets of juice. I wonder, "Where is the robust flavor of grain? Where is the "spare no expense" attitude that comes with purchasing wine?" Are we "cheapening" Communion in more ways than one?

The questions of frugality and frequency don't trouble me quite as much as a related issue, however (and here's where I'm really concerned). The "hard-tack," the grape juice, and the infrequency are typically combined with an element of solemnity (which is not inappropriate in and of itself), but it's almost as if these are all flowing together so that no one will enjoy any part of the wonderful act of Communion. What's not to enjoy?

I wonder if we're forgetting what Jesus is showing us in the breaking of the bread and the pouring out of wine - a celebratory meal in the context of Passover, of freedom. I wonder if we're forgetting what Luke is pointing to at the close of his Gospel narrative (Lk 24.31-32) and the beginning of his narrative in Acts (2.42-43) - that Jesus is known in the breaking of bread and his followers are known by it. In the Eucharist we are administering a person to people. I'm not talking about Transubstantiation. I'm talking about a demonstration of a multimedia, multi-sensory act that administers Jesus - who he is, what he does, what he is really like - in some ways - more than words are able. It's a special, solemn, exciting, celebratory, heart-wrenching expression of who God is. What is God like? He breaks himself, pours himself out, and says "put this into yourselves," and offers a new life and a new way of living.

Isn't this a crucial means of ministering the Word - of administering Jesus - to people? And doesn't this act stand in the gap between private and public ministry of the Word - being both individual and corporate?

Now, I've likely written more things than I should. So, I'm going to wrap this up. If you've read this, then I'd like to know your thoughts. Does what I'm saying make sense? Could it be time for a change of focus, a change of practice, and a change in perspective that says "Communion is important, so let's highlight it, celebrate it, and spare no expense in it to enjoy this wonderful gift." Should we be administering Jesus in a different way?