ADVENTure Day 10

When I was in college, I visited many of the area churches on Sunday mornings.  I went to the local Baptist church, the local Presbyterian church, the local Methodist church, and many other churches.  One church I visited fairly often was the local Christian Missionary Alliance (C.M.A.) church.  Many college students attended this church.  The services were somewhat contemporary, and they did a great job including students from our college in the worship from time to time.

The C.M.A. church had a tradition called I think they called a Love Feast.  I was there when they did it once or twice.  During the service, they brought out baskets of bread.  I don’t remember if they passed out the bread or if you came to the front to pick up a couple of pieces of bread.  As I remember the Love Feast, everyone stood up and walked around the sanctuary or auditorium.  They approached someone in the congregation they knew and selected to receive a piece of bread.  As they gave them a piece of bread, they would share something they loved about the other person.  The recipient would then eat the piece of bread.  It was simple and powerful.

I remember seeing people crying throughout this “sacrament” of love.  I’m sure there were people who were going through reconciliation.  Others were simply being encouraged.  It was a time of healing.  I time of hope.  And I time of love.

Christ came to provide healing, hope, and love to a broken world.  He set the example for reconciliation and forgiveness.  This Love Feast was an opportunity to experience and share this love with others.

As we celebrate Advent, it should be a time of healing, hope, and love.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  2 Corinthians 5:16-20

ADVENTure Activity:  With whom do you need to pursue reconciliation?  Take a step this week towards reconciliation.

ADVENTure Question:  How have you experienced reconciliation with someone?  How did it feel?  Were you pursued or did someone else pursue you?