Week 2, Day 13 - Proclamation at Khe Sanh

"For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." xxxxx 1 Corinthians 11:26

REFLECT

Because mortar fire could rain down at any time, the Marines were told not to be in groups of more than five or six in any one place. So during the two-month siege of Khe Sanh, Viet Nam, one Navy Chaplain found himself scurrying from group to group every day to hold a brief service of communion. He had to get through twenty to thirty abbreviated services each day, so he cut the service down to seven minutes: Just the minimal amount of words, a prayer, and communion. The impact of this act had a great effect on the marines. Many times a cry would come from a wounded marine not just asking for the medic, but for the chaplain as well.

Worship is not a spectator sport. It is not a consumer event. It is a proclamation. To worship is to make a loud declaration to yourself, to God, to other worshippers, to your friends and family, to the world saying, "I know I am a redeemed child of God, I desperately need God every day, and I surrender to His Lordship in praise & worship."

Communion in particular is a proclamation. "Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.' Jesus knew that it would. That's why he said to do this often. Eat the bread, drink the cup. Make a proclamation. Acknowledge the one who gives you life. Take a stand.

When a person takes communion (unless he or she does it in a completely thoughtless fashion), he or she is saying: "I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner to feed by body, but I realize that I am more than just a body, I am a living spiritual being. And I need to be spiritually fed as well. I need the Lord Jesus Christ who is the bread sent from heaven. I accept the gift of forgiveness that is made possible by his shed blood. I embrace "he who knew no sin becoming sin for me". This is what I need. This is who I am. This is why I am spiritually alive. This I proclaim!"

The wonderful truth is the sound of that proclamation is so great it can muffle the sounds of the "Enemies" mortars falling all around us. What a blessed privilege we have to proclaim His truth.

Make It Real

Think about what your worship proclaims. Write down on paper what your worship time on Sabbath says about your life. Does it: reflect community with others? Loyalty and allegiance to God? An expression of love for God? Focus on these things as you enter into worship this Sabbath.

Day 14