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 It
was just one of those days for this brother. He wasn’t feeling
very well, but hated to say “No” when he was asked to serve
at the Lord’s Table. And when it was suggested that he read a
passage of scripture before the service, he consented.
Reading
aloud was not his best side, but he selected an appropriate
passage, and when the time came, did very well — by
concentrating carefully on each word, and avoiding the direct
gaze of the people before him. He finished, closed the book and
put it away; and the silence of the lapse of time proved
embarrassing. When he turned back to the table he felt an urge
to do or say something — resume activity — and his attention
focused upon the most obvious thing before him — the communion
service. So, he began to pass the plates of unleaven bread to
the men who would serve the assembly, and failed to offer
thanks for the bread. It was a real BLUNDER.
Among
those present for worship were two men of widely varying
dispositions. One had listened critically to the reading, noting
the quaver in the reader’s voice, and filing a
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mental note regarding this, for possible use
in later confrontations. And when the brother failed to give
thanks for the bread — WOW!! The mental office came alive!
Other notes were pushed aside, and this tasty morsel was typed
in CAPS. with gleeful anticipation of the use that could be made
of THE BLUNDER.
The
second man in our study was thinking of the scriptures read, of
the sacrifice that Christ made for poor sinners like himself;
and when the reading was finished he bowed his head in
expectation of the prayer of thanks. His mind did not wait for
the public prayer — that never came — but he began to pray
privately. He thanked God for the bread, the symbol of Christ’s
body. broken for his sin. bruised for his iniquity. “I am the
one to whom the strokes were due,” he thought; ‘but He bore
my penalty.”
And
when the deacon presented the bread for his partaking. he
partook; and never even knew about THE BLUNDER.
[Previous:
Vol.6, No.12, p. 8]
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