As a Christian community, called to peacemaking and reconciliation, we affirm that people of any race, ethnic identity, gender, who are gay or straight, of any ability, age, or economic status, are welcome to full participation in our congregation.
Scripture: John 21:1-19 Jesus visits the disciples a third time after his resurrection, this time as some of them have been fishing. “Where is Melissa going with this sermon?” That’s what many were thinking as she started her sermon, telling us that our bodies are “an island of creatures.” The real body of Jesus joins […]
Melissa recounts stories of Mennonites in Java–doing harm and learning to do better–as we reflect on what it means to be part of the larger global Christian church on World Anabaptist Sunday. Healing and restoration is always ongoing. We engage in repentance, over and over again, recognizing that this is how the reign of God […]
Scripture: John 6:51-58 Our English translation of the text for today’s sermon doesn’t quite get at the graphicness of the passage. “If you do not ‘gnaw on the body of Christ and drink his blood, you have no life in you,” is a more accurate translation from the Greek. Whatever spiritualizing we want to bring […]
by Jackie ParkerA blog entry in response to our “A Year at the Table” series. One Sunday, during the sharing portion of our worship, I revealed I was having a hard time—that the pandemic, fear for people’s health, and physical distancing were taking a toll—and with no end in sight, I was starting to feel […]
By David and Rosene Rohrer, with photo by Karin Shank Having learned from each other about the variety of ways communion is celebrated around the world, we easily adjusted to observing this important practice from our homes during the novel coronavirus pandemic in 2020. One Sunday for our virtual service (via Zoom) we each chose […]
Luke 22:14-23 Our guest preacher this Sunday was Dr. Malinda Berry. This was part of the weekend she spent with us teaching on our Mennonite theology of Communion and how we might create a robust and living theology of table as a local community. Communion helps us connect with each other. Malinda drew in part […]
John 6:25-40, I Corinthians 11:23-26, 12:12, 24-27 Melissa continued the series on communion, focusing today on the role of bread. How bread comes to be is significant, from the grains to the yeast that acts as leavening. In many ways, we are bread. How do we break ourselves open to be made whole?How do we […]
Matthew 26:17-30 On this first Sunday that we held worship at Fletcher Academy, Melissa recounts the story of the Last Supper, Jesus having Passover with his friends. The account in Matthew spends more time talking about the betrayal by Judas than it does about breaking of the bread and sharing the cup. When we come […]
by David Rohrer Throughout history communion has been wrought with conflict. Heated debate focused on: Who can participate? Who can officiate? What’s required to prepare for communion? What elements are used? What process occurs in those who partake? Is Christ in the host (bread) or only there with his “real presence?” Is communion necessary for […]
by David Rohrer Below are highlights from my reading of Laurel Marshall’s masters thesis regarding the practice of communion and baptism in Christian base communities in El Salvador: The role of liberation theology in informing communion and baptism. The emphasis on sharing and inclusiveness in practicing the communion. Caring for one another as being a way […]
by Shannon Hess Our short time in El Salvador left me with a lot to process and a lot to reflect on, much of which I haven’t even tried to begin to put into words. I can’t honestly say that I really put much thought into Communion before our congregation started asking questions and making […]
by Belissa Acosta My main takeaway from going to El Salvador is the radical hospitality that the members of the base communities showed us. The way they opened up their homes to us and shared what they had made me realize a few things about my own goals in life. For the past couple months, […]
by Jackie Parker So much to say about El Salvador, it’s hard to know where to begin. My heart is filled with the beauty and generosity of spirit of everyone we met and with the sheer horror of the tragedies that have taken place in their country. Our delegation was so warmly welcomed by each […]
Photos from visit to Christian base communities in El Salvador the week of Thanksgiving 2019 are posted on a separate site.
Exodus 12:3-13 and Mark 14:12-25 Our biblical example of communion stems from Jesus sharing the Passover meal with his disciples. Rachel reflects on how the church’s communion practice, particularly in white-dominant congregations, can deepen rather than heal racial divisions in the church as it did in the past when white slave owners required those they […]
by Al RebergA blog entry in response to our “A Year at the Table” series.November 16, 2019 The Communion Liturgy at Saint Ambrose Episcopal Church is read from the Book of Common Prayer or recited from memory. Two people bring the bread and wine down the center Aisle and gives them to the Torch Bearer […]
by David RohrerA blog entry in response to our “A Year at the Table” series.November 11, 2019 Last summer on two consecutive Sundays, Hans, Ann, Rosene and David celebrated communion with our brothers and sisters at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Oaxaca, Mexico. The service was conducted in English. The church has no assigned priest; rather it […]
This was the official kick-off retreat for our year’s study of table fellowship and communion practices at RMC. We looked at some ways God called God’s people to table fellowship and reflected on the ways we’ve experienced table fellowship and communion in the past and the present.
by David RohrerA blog entry in response to our “A Year at the Table” series.August 18, 2019 Also see related: El Salvador Impressions – a photo blog of the team’s trip Today, following our time of worship at Raleigh Mennonite Church (RMC), Laurel Marshall shared from her experience with Salvadoran Christian base communities, abbreviated CEBs (communidades […]
by David RohrerA blog entry in response to our “A Year at the Table” series. This summer’s RMC worship retreat began with the hymn “What is this place where we are meeting,” reminding us that “we are each other’s bread and wine.” Melissa then read all three Gospel accounts* of the last supper, interspersed with art […]
by Melissa Florer-BixlerA blog entry in response to our “A Year at the Table” series. It seemed fitting to me that we began our year of exploration and reflection on Communion practice in grace. Babette’s Feast, the first in our film series featuring movies about food and faith, is a story about grace received in […]
In the last sermon in her series on the 10 commandments, Melissa focuses on the tenth from Exodus 20:17. To help us understand the concept of “to covet” Melissa has the congregation participate in a little biblical exegesis. She uses 2 Samuel 11:1-13, the story of David and Bathsheba, to explain that coveting has to do […]
John 13:1-17 – Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet The rituals of the Christian life are ordinary things made extraordinary for a moment. Jesus has a knack for this, taking what is ordinary and turning it back for us to look at it again: song, bread, water, wine. As we anticipate the coming of Holy Week […]
Melissa brought the sermon today, based on John 2:13-25. Jesus coming onto the scene means a radical departure from every common expectation about worship and economics and the places where they meet. We’re reminded by this passage in John, as well as by many of the old testament prophets like Zechariah and Nehemiah, that we […]
