Do this in remembrance…

A Note from the Pastor…

When I was in high school, my grandfather, (who passed away in 2006), began losing his eyesight. After I got my driver’s license, I would occasionally drive him to church on Saturday evenings. It was a different church than I grew up in, but I enjoyed visiting the church with him and enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with my aging grandfather. He always asked me to drive his car when we went places – something I wasn’t thrilled to do! He had an old, light blue, 1975 Nova that you had to pump the brakes several times in order to stop – but, according to Grandpa, “It was a good car.”

One particular Saturday evening, we went to visit his church, and the congregation was sharing in communion and participating in foot-washing. The pastor did an excellent job sharing a message about both! He brought out points that I had never thought about or heard about in my own church. However, as the congregation got ready to take communion, by grandfather leaned over to me and said, “We have to leave, I am not a member here.” We quietly got up, slipped out the back door, and went home.

It was not until several years later, that I truly considered the difference in what is generally referred to as “closed” and “open” communion. My grandfather’s church practiced “closed” communion. You must be a member of that congregation or denomination, (or “close” communion as a member of a like-minded congregation), to partake in communion with them. However, in the First Church of God, we practice “open” communion. The only restriction we have on sharing communion is that you be a Christian. The First Church of God has no formal membership, we do not “vote” people in or out of the church, and we seek to “reach our hand in fellowship to every blood-washed one” (taken from the hymn, The Church’s Jubilee). This doesn’t mean that we don’t uphold the standards of the Word of God – it simply means that Christ is the Head of His Church, and as the book of Acts reads, “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47b ESV).

With this, I invite everyone here, who are Christians, who are living a life consistent with scripture, to join us in Communion as we “do this in remembrance” of Christ!

In His Service,

Pastor Chris