The logistics of running a household of seven are nutty at best and after our first year as a family I am proud to say that the only major sticking point is LAUNDRY. Don't get me wrong, there's lots of little snags with that many personalities under one roof, but those conflicts pass. Laundry, however, is an ongoing challenge. Who does it? And if for some reason (like you don't bother to take it out of your room) it doesn't get done and you run out of pants, then what? Do we have certain days for laundry? Does everyone (except of course the 6 year old) do their own? How does that effect the utility bills? Will the washer and dryer run nonstop seven days a week for ridiculously small loads?? Nothing starts my day worse than being woke up with conversations of laundry....."I don't have any socks", "Did the jeans make it to the dryer?".........You get the point. So, at my wits end on Sunday morning as we stepped out the door I announced "Family meeting after church! Hot topic? LAUNDRY." As you might imagine, this thrilled my family! Ill with the topic, Mr. Westfall automatically locked up and off to church we went. (One might think that I would learn to time such announcements a little better......but let me remind you that I am a work in progress.)
In the week leading up to this I had been reading an intense book for the class I am taking called "Real Church" by Dr. Larry Crabb. It had prompted for me a deep journey through why I had abandoned church for so long as well as why church has become important to me again, what I want to see in the body of believers I am a part of, and what I can do to contribute. There were some very dark moments in this journey for me, but the outcome is amazing and I would recommend the book to anyone who struggles with "church" rather than God. It could be an entire series of blogs for me, but for now that is just where I was last week. In addition to that I have been working on a presentation over the Lord's Supper and am to do that portion of a service my class is holding on Thursday this week. Coincidentally, Sunday was communion Sunday at our church.
Communion Sunday is precious to me, and I LOVE it when all the kids and my husband are there so that we can partake as a family. I was so thrilled that everyone was up and moving and would be there. However, now the laundry demon was following us to church. I could feel Kurt's tension as he sat next to me, dreading the impending family meeting. Sam was sitting on my lap having his donuts and reading the bulletin (SO cute!). He read "Holy" and began sounding it out and I helped him finish "Communion". In all his 6 years of wisdom and glory his face lit up, "YAY!". So, I took the opportunity to ask "What's that?" He told me it's when we dip the bread in the juice and it's "yummy!" . To which I replied "why do we do that?" And my high strung six year old looked at me and said "because it is the body and blood of Jesus." He gave it NO thought. He KNEW. I then asked him again "why?" and his response was a very matter of fact "to worship God". When it was time to go to Sunday School, he was deeply wounded because he wouldn't get to participate, so when the time came I sent Lizzi after him and we all worshiped together by taking the bread and the juice, the body and blood of the savior.
In my research earlier in the week I was heavily confronted with the question of "Why?". Why do we take communion? Different denominations have different doctrines and theologies and if you dig very deep, it becomes far more complicated than I believe Jesus meant for it to be. When I go to the Bible, the book that counts, in all accounts of the Lord's Supper Jesus simply says "Do this in remembrance of Me". That's it. That's why. Because He is my King, and He said to. He instructed us to remember. Remember that He gave it all. Lived His life perfectly when He walked this earth, proved God's love for us time and time again through miracle after miracle, suffered and died, and YES rose again so that we can be forgiven and have life. Of all the things He asked us to do, the bread and the wine are the easiest. Think about it, sometimes its really difficult to love your neighbor.....sometimes it's difficult to love your family (remember the laundry??), but when I'm handed the bread and told "this is the body of Christ broken for you" and as I dip it in the cup and hear "the blood of Christ shed for you" I am reminded that He is my King. That's why. That's why I do it. And that's why I cherish it. And that's why I love nothing more than when my family is there to do it together. To remember our King. To be reminded that He is King of ALL (even my stinkin' laundry!). I am grateful in ways you could never even imagine to know that it's all under control and I don't have to fight to control it. Maybe communion should happen daily so that I will remember my King.
After church I thought of my upcoming opportunity to offer the Lord's Supper to other believers including my peers and it made my stomach turn. I am not worthy to offer communion! What on earth was Dr. Wise thinking when he put ME in that spot?? I put it to the back of my mind and went home to hold the family meeting. We brainstormed together another solution we hope will work (I think my husband thought I was going to line them all up and rip them apart! Ha!). And we all went about our day. Watched the Super Bowl with family and ate plenty of food. All the while in the back of my mind I'm mulling over this "opportunity" to present communion on Thursday. It just lingered and my stomach turned if I payed much attention to it.
This morning as I prayed and thought about Thursday's service, I thought about my son's response to me yesterday......it was so simple. And I thought about my feelings the other night about how complicated we seem to make it when it truly is so simple. And I remembered picking the kids up from camp at Shepherd's Fold last summer and hearing them talk about their Friday night communion service (a beloved tradition at camp), and how the bread tasted so good that they all kept asking for "more Jesus". Remember? Sam said it was "yummy", also. And they are so right! It does taste SO sweet! To be loved and saved and have the opportunity to remember the King who gave us the opportunity to be forgiven. I am so deeply humbled to have that portion of the service on Thursday, but I'm not sick over it anymore. I got the message loud and clear this morning, give me more Jesus!
