From September 18th, 2005
The other day I was thinking about a not so recent trend with places to eat on Falls of the Neuse Road. It seems any time my family finds a spots where we enjoy having Sunday lunch, that restaurant is sure to go out of business. Not to mention our favorite place, Andy's Pizza, has burned down not once, but twice.
Now - as I consider this pattern, my first thought is,
"Could my family somehow be to blame?"
While it is true that when we all go out together, we can be a little "high maintenance," I can't imagine our special orders and multiple sweet tea refills could bring down an otherwise successful restaurant.
I was thinking about that particular subject one morning when my wife interrupted me. She nudged me with her elbow and handed me a communion tray.
Just moments earlier, I had started my observance of the Lord's Supper. I began like I usually do: trying to focus and remember Jesus. Somehow, my thoughts had moved to lunch.
This wasn't the first time I'd gotten distracted during communion - probably not the last. My first reaction was to feel guilty for allowing my mind to wander, but I'm reminded that Jesus doesn't require me to be perfect, he needs me to be committed, and guilt has a way of becoming an even bigger distraction than lunch.
So - in that light - let's "move on" and consider what distracts us. In the example I already gave, my distraction wasn't food. It was being fooled into being bored at a time when Jesus was offering fulfillment.
Many other things can sidetrack, but distractions related to personal problems can be the toughest to ignore. Many of these distractions might be considered legitimate: issues relating to the job, family, or finances come to mind. Even more legitimate distractions might involve a personal sin or, even more difficult, the spiritual struggles of a family member or a close friend.
The great thing about being distracted during the Lord's Supper is that eventually someone is going to hand you a communion tray, and, hopefully, that will bring you back to the answer to all of our problems: JESUS.
Now, the world will tell us how to handle boredom and personal problems, and even offer some guidance for spiritual problems, and the world's solutions might provide some temporary relief; but with Jesus, we receive the only answer that is everlasting. And he provides the complete and eternal answer for every distraction that Satan can come up with.
For me, communion is about remembering Jesus, and on some Sundays, if there are concerns that start to pull me away - cares of the world - no matter how big or small - I will turn back to Jesus and reflect on how he is the answer to all that distracts. And, if I don't feel that burden immediately lifted off my shoulders, then I haven't really given it to him and I will turn to Jesus again.
What is distracting you? If you are not distracted, what is it that's bubbling beneath the surface, that's making you sad or uneasy or in a hurry?
As we remember Jesus, let's give those distractions to him, and may "the peace of God which transcends all understanding ...guard [our] hearts and [our] minds..."
