Sunday, November 7, 2010

Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage

When you think of pilgrimage, you think of traveling to a special place.

It might be a place of great personal interest or of profound historical or religious significance. One who goes on a pilgrimage might be seeking beauty, or blessing or a miracle. It might be the place of an early childhood memory, the homestead of an ancestor, or the grave of a loved one.

Wherever this journey takes you it is a holy place, a place of personal reflection that inspires, shapes and moves you to a place of greater growth as a person and deeper into the heart of God..

For us as Christians, Holy Communion is a pilgrimage back to the foot of the cross. Whether we celebrate the Lord's Supper weekly, monthly, or more or less often, it should be a pilgrimage. As we come to the foot of the Cross in Holy Communion we remember, we ponder, we meditate, not just on the fact of Christ's death, but also on what was accomplished on the Cross, the benefits of His death and what that means to us in everyday life.

Because of the Cross we find...
forgiveness
cleansing
eternal life
true righteousness and holiness
peace with God
liberty
hope and strength
the basis for the fruits and gifts of the Spirit
victory over the devil
victory over sin
victory over death
... the list could go on and on.

It's all because of the Cross! These are the types of things we should remember when we come to the Table of the Lord.

Then, as we have contemplated these things, before receiving the Body and Blood of the Lord, we should examine our hearts and lives and ask ourselves the question: “Am I living out those benefits and does my daily life reflect the accomplishments of the Cross to others?”

Lord,
As we make a pilgrimage to the foot of the Cross in Holy Communion, meet us there. And may the benefits, accomplishments, and victories of the Cross, be lived out through each and everyone who professes Your Name. Amen.