Grace Notes 2024-04-10

Normally the first Reading at the Divine Service on Sunday’s is taken from the Old Testament. The exception to the rule is during the Easter Season. As you may have noticed, during this Season the Readings are from the New Testament Book of Acts. I love the reason for this.

Jesus rose from the tomb on the third day after His death on the Cross. Many people, mostly his disciples, encountered the Risen Christ over the course of 40 days. According to the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, on one occasion the Risen Lord appeared to over 500 witnesses. But after His 40th day ascension into heaven, witnessed by His close disciples, His resurrected, visible appearances mostly ceased. I say mostly. We know of one exception. And that was to the Apostle Paul (cf. Act 9:1-8; 1Co 15:8; Ga 1:13-16).

His resurrected appearances cease, but the impact of the Risen Christ continues. And the Book of Acts chronicles the impact of the Resurrection on Jesus’ disciples and in the formation and expansion of the Church. When the New Testament teaches that the Church is the Body of Christ, we should understand that after Christ’s Ascension the world encounters Christ’s Risen Body as they encounter the Church.

In His encounter with the Risen Christ Paul learned that he had been persecuting Christ. That is what our Lord declared to Paul. You can read about it in Acts 9. And how had he been persecuting Jesus? Well, before his conversion Paul was busy arresting believers, throwing them into prison, and even approving of their executions. In attacking Christians Paul was attacking Christ! Indeed, individual believers make up different members of the Body of Christ. 

We very easily lose sight of the Risen Christ’s work to knit individual believers into the various members of His Body. Joined to Christ we are knit to other members. We are not meant to live like severed members independent from the Body!

Since You Asked…

Why Is the Pastor Using cruets to both fill the Communion Chalice and then to cleanse it afterward?

You may have noticed the Pastor using a little water from a cruet poured into the chalice, swirled around to mix with the remaining drops of wine, and consumed by the Pastor at the conclusion of administering Holy Communion. This is one way to reverently handle the remaining communion element of the cup. And there is a practical benefit. The longer wine sits in precious metal vessels, the more it begins pitting the surface. By adding wine when needed to the chalice, and then consuming soon after the slight remains with a little water, the metal is preserved.