Three-part Communion (part 1)

Students who have trusted Christ need to take part in communion. Jesus commands that we commemorate what He did for each believer by dying on the cross for their sins; "do this in remembrance of me (Luke 22:19)." Later as the church kept growing the Apostle Paul passed on this ordinance for the church at Corinth to practice when he wrote, "For I received from the Lord, what I also passed on to you...(I Corinthians 11:23)." Paul outlined the ordinance of the Bread and the Cup.

Northwest Chapel practices three-fold, three-part communion. We engage in three symbols that picture a believer's relationship with Christ. The three parts of the Communion Service are the feet washing, the love feast, and the Bread and the Cup. Each part symbolizes biblical truth.

The first part is feet-washing. It was typical for Jewish people at the time of Jesus to wash their feet upon entering someone's house. Yet Jesus rose from the meal as it was in progres and washed the disciples' feet (see John 13:2-5). Northwest Chapel believes that the feet-washing Jesus performs with the disciples is a special feet washing. Jesus gave special meaning to this feet-washing.

The feet washing is a symbol of cleansing from sin. Once a person has trusted Jesus to take over his or her life, a Christ-follower still commits sins from time to time. He or she needs to be forgiven. Peter objects to getting his feet washed but Jesus informs him that if Peter did not have his feet washed he would have no part with Jesus. So Peter asks Jesus to wash his entire ody; however Jesus points out that he does not need to have his whole body cleaned since he already knows Jesus. Only his feet needs to be cleansed.

Feet-washing is a symbol or picture of what has happened spiritually in the life of a believer in Christ. Because I have trusted Jesus, I can experience this daily cleansing of sin and receive Christ's forgiveness. I can symbolically picture this truth by washing someone else's feet (read John 13:12-17). I will get to the second part later this week. I wonder if you would like to come and observe how we conduct communion. You are invited to join us this Sunday, April 1 @ 5:30pm in our Multi-purpose Room @ 6700 Rings Road in Dublin, Ohio--no fooling :).

Pastor D