Let us drink with one another

Today I was able to partake in communion for the first time since being here. The thought did not occur to me that in Germany communion is a little bit different that what I am used to in the states. No, it was not with wine, we still had grape juice. I mean the way in which we partook as a “body of Christ”. I think I understand “being one body” a little bit better after today as well. They started the service, we read and sang together, then it was time to pass out the elements. We started just like it would start in the states with passing out the bread and we partook. After the bread the part came that would bind us together as a congregation, the drink. Julia and I are sitting in the back and realize they only have 2 cups. One was for one side of the room and the other for our side. Our side seemed to have a larger population of people. I saw Wilhms partake and then handed the cup to another elderly lady, at that moment Julia and I turn to each other and started giggling like little girls together. Then the thought crossed my mind if I could fake drink it or just drink it without putting my lips on it, to which my wife said, you can’t do that. For sanitation purposes they wipe it with a cloth at the mouth part, to try and ease your mind that it’s not germy. I don’t think if you sprayed the lip part with anti-bacterial spray it would make much of a difference, because we are all backwashing in one way shape or form. As the Elder passed it from row to row, it came time for me to partake. I was very nervous, it was show time, so I took it and thought, while in Rome do as the Romans do, and gulped it back. While I was drinking, I thought what would they do if I downed the whole thing? The thought made me laugh to myself and I knew I had to bury my head before Julia saw me laugh and had the juice go through her nose. When we were done, I thought how easy someone could say “they don’t have communion right”. I am guilty of that at times, posing American ideas of church on church. I continue to enjoy being in a foreign land that I am making home. It helps tear away “American ideas” and just truly following the Bible and what the Gospel truly is. It’s refreshing and very fun, the joy of missions. I would never trade these experiences in life for anything else. I can’t express how much fun Julia and I are having!