Awakening to the presence, attention, and love of God
April 28th, 2024 – Communion Meditation
The first couple of times we saw our beautiful new grandbaby, at just six weeks old, most of each day was spent sleeping. But with each passing day, our grandbaby gradually became more aware of the surroundings, focusing intently on faces, patterns, nature, and books. All senses were visibly awakened from one day to the next. We are profoundly grateful for all the time we had with this precious one so early in life when every tiny development filled us afresh with wonder and awe at the miracle of God’s beautiful creation! One day as we (mama, dada, grandma, and grandpa) all sat in close proximity to little “Mouse” (doing the age-old practice of baby adoration), our grandbaby’s first smile was directed at daddy and immediately an animated conversation began with mama in beautiful full-bodied gurgles and coos. Mouse began grasping at faces, clothing, and toys and tracking with the larger pictures in books. Our grandbaby’s mama and daddy had been there every moment since well before Mouse was born, and every moment of life since. It is obvious that Mouse knew their voices right from the start. But the wonder that we experienced was watching our grandbaby awakening to be able to respond to their presence and attention and love.
The God who made you and me, the God who made everything that is, the God who is Trinity described by the witness of Scripture to God’s unfathomable love incarnate in Jesus Christ and active by the power of the Spirit in the community of faith today, this God is the God whose presence, attention, and love are with you and me right here, right now. There has never been a moment when God’s presence, attention, and love have been absent in our lives, or in fact, since eternity past, until eternity future. Forever and ever. It’s not God’s presence, attention, and love that need to be awakened. As we come to the Communion table today, God invites us afresh to know and experience the presence, attention, and love of God. We are invited to enter into the Trinity’s embrace. We are invited to receive, be filled, and be sent out, ever enfolded in God’s embrace, to offer the presence, attention, and love of God to the world.
On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he took the bread and said, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (Eat together) Again, Jesus took the cup and said, “This is my blood of the new covenant poured out for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (Drink together)
