Keith Cox
“Sunday Oct. 2, congregations around the globe will celebrate World Communion Sunday. Most of us have heard about World Communion Sunday but may not know much about where the celebration originated. According to the website of the National Council of Churches, World Communion Sunday began in 1936 in the Presbyterian Church and was adopted by the Federal Council of Churches (predecessor of the NCC) in 1940. Since then, the celebration has grown into an international ecumenical celebration of Christian unity.”
“The key word for World Communion Sunday is communion, or unity. It is a day when we mark the almost universal Christian practice of breaking bread with one another and remembering both the night of Jesus’ betrayal – when Jesus instituted what we now call the Lord’s Supper as a lasting remembrance – and of Jesus’ sacrifice. So accounts of the last supper feature prominently, by virtue of World Communion Sunday being a celebration of the Eucharist.
But there is a flavor of the Christian celebration of Pentecost as well, when people from around the Mediterranean world came together in mutual understanding and inspiration, by the power of the Holy Spirit. World Communion Sunday is a time for remembering that around the globe – in different languages, with different traditions and customs, and in various forms of liturgy – the Lord’s Supper is celebrated throughout Christendom. At its best, therefore, World Communion Sunday serves two purposes: it is both a joyous and meaningful partaking in Jesus’ sacred meal with his friends and a mind-opening exposure to different Christian traditions from around the world.”
– World Communion Sunday: Why We Do It and How, by Ian Heston Doescher
Here at Clarkesville First United Methodist Church, we have an open table policy when it comes to Holy Communion. Everyone is welcomed to participate in Holy Communion. You do not have to be a member of our church. We believe that Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another.
Please join us on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 10 a.m. in our sanctuary as we remember the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Since it is World Communion Sunday we are inviting our three services to join together for one service
One body, one bread and one cup.
Keith Cox is the pastor of Clarkesville First United Methodist Church.