No Shoes
Originally scheduled for August 15
Casual dress having taken over much of our lives, we do not
see it as often these days: a sign saying, “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service.”
It still exists; there are limits to casual attire. If the waiter is wearing a
tuxedo, and you’re wearing an Aloha shirt and flip-flops, you’re in the wrong
restaurant.
Why do restaurants maintain the “right to refuse service to
anyone?” After all, biker bars don’t mandate leather jackets – but upscale
places often mandate coat and tie. It’s said to maintain the atmosphere of the
place. But do you not see that it’s the “high class” restaurant with the
restrictions; a burger joint is not nearly so fussy. It should be no surprise,
then, that the most sacred of meals, Communion, has its requirements as well.
To join in Communion you must first be a real Christian. If
there are any here who are not Christians, please refrain. This is a symbolic
meal for believers only. Indeed, so seriously is this requirement maintained
that many churches require that those who partake be members of that local
church. It is a way of making sure that fools don’t rush in.
Added to that is the requirement for self-examination.
Communion is not to be taken mindlessly. Rather, it should be taken in full
contemplation of the soul, honoring the sacrifice which made it possible – and
the sin which made it necessary. Our sin.
Do we take it in a worthy manner? Or are we like the lady
who came to the opera in hair curlers – justifying it by saying she had
somewhere to go afterwards? Some of us just mumble a prayer of no real
repentance. Others cheerily go on telling the Almighty what all the others
need to repent for. Communion is a time for self-judgment, not Judgmentalism.
The true path is this: begin with your own confession of
sins, and repentance. Then ask God for forgiveness of your sins. A word of
warning: that will require you to forgive others. Then, with clean heart and
clear conscience, eat the meal which symbolizes your forgiveness – and the
price Christ paid for it.
