O Lord, you are the host and the meal; you invite and you are the feast.

-- Maronite liturgy

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life.

-- Roman Missal

In Holy Communion, God invites us to the feast that lasts forever. In a simple meal of bread and wine, Lutherans believe that we receive the real presence of Christ, whom the scriptures proclaim as the Bread of Life through whom we will never hunger again.

In this meal, we are welcomed just as we are, healed of our sins, and intimately united with God and our neighbor. As one hymn we sing puts it, “we become what we receive”—Christ’s body, sent out in service for the whole world. The table at which we receive these gifts belongs to God—not to us. Lutherans practice “Eucharistic hospitality,” meaning we are called to share—not hoard—God’s mysteries, and to welcome all the baptized to the Lord’s table.

Because the Eucharist is such an important part of our life together as Christians, a time of preparation and instruction typically takes place before a person first receives Communion. There is no “right age” for someone to begin receiving the sacrament. Preparation is available to any child whose parents feel they are ready to receive the gifts of God’s healing and life that we receive through bread and wine in the Eucharist. While many children make their First Communion around the 2nd grade, children of all ages are welcome, and instruction can be customized to a developmentally appropriate level.

First Communion classes for 2010 are beginning in April! Please contact Pastor Jon for more information.