First time serving holy communion as an Elder...

I'm the one with the hat

Today was the first Sunday that I served communion as an Elder at our local PIC Mangere church. The interesting thing for me was that for over 50 years, I had watched my father and many other Elders over the years serve holy communion at my local church and finally it was my turn.

The significance for me was that it was something that I had wondered about all these years. The mystique of seeing the red drink symbolic of the sacrificial blood of Jesus and the bread being the body of Christ.

This is not meant to be a sermon but it has been an important part of my Christian life since being born again many years ago, in that, it reminds us that Jesus gave of his life for our sin i.e. in the empty cross that many still wear.

I am so encouraged that I now stand in a legacy that many people have stood in for many years and that my father got to see me serving as he has in returning back from Samoa just this week with my mother.

Again, I give thanks to an amazing God who allows us to experience these things without us ever planning for it and I was surprised to see our youngest taking photos as she was also aware of the significance of this moment for my family.

Although I must say that I was a bit nervous, having been my first time, and I walked out of the service far too early and then when I was heading out in the line to walk into church, I accidentally opened the door too far and almost fell over myself. Thanks be to God, just to remind me to walk humbly with my God.

But it was neat with all the ritual of serving the bread and then the drink with accompanying Elders from the Cook Islands and Niuean group - not to mention that my good friend and prayer partner over the years i.e. Cecily of Niuean descent was also blessed in becoming an Elder from the Niue EKLS.

So many abundant blessings today...