Winter’s Communion

The winter months of January and February can seem dull and muted. Most of the earth seems to be in a state of waiting. The trees have shed their green leaves. Most of the flowers have disappeared while waiting for Spring. Many animals even tuck themselves away to wait for warmer weather. The days are shorter and the sun’s rays are weaker due to their low angle.

People are not exempt from this. We experience a lull in activity and thought during these months too. Many people experience fatigue, mood changes, and feelings of hopelessness due to decreased sunlight disrupting their biological clocks. Others are simply trying to recover from what feels like running a gauntlet from Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year’s – especially if you have kids!

Our spiritual lives experience these seasons of quiet as well. We contemplate and remember Jesus each Sunday morning as part of the Lord’s Supper, and it can be a challenge to keep these thoughts fresh and meaningful week in and week out. When you add in the factors above that come with the winter season, a meaningful communion time each Sunday can prove elusive for many.

Winter comes right between Christmas and Easter. During the Christmas season it is easy to remain focused on the birth of Jesus. We see nativity scenes in people’s yards. We hear about Mary and Jesus in songs. We sings hymns and carols throughout the season. The beginning of Jesus’s life on Earth seems to be all around us in December. During the Easter season, our thoughts are focused on the cross and the empty tomb. We dwell on the sacrifice of Jesus to pay our debt. We relish in His resurrection and the conquering of death. Easter Sunday is a declaration of the events surrounding the end of Jesus’s earthly life and a glorious celebration of what comes next for those who believe.

So, if Christmas is focused on the beginning of Jesus’s incarnate life and Easter is focused on the end, then how should we approach this weekly time of reflection in the Lord’s Supper during the months in between? I suggest one option is to focus on Jesus’s ministry. The life and teachings of Jesus are what happened between His birth and His crucifixion, and the words of Jesus, as recorded in the Gospels, make a great starting point. Jesus himself begins this way in Matthew 5:

He said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,

    for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,

    for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

    for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,

    for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,

    for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,

    for they will be called children of God.
 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

May your winter’s communion times be special and fruitful.

~ Clay