If you’ve not yet reached the point of having young children in your home, the above title may not mean all that much to you. However, if Disney movies frequently show up on your television, you likely recognize those words as the title of a song from Beauty and the Beast. The “tale as old as time” is one of love, a story being played out in front of the Beast’s servants as he and Belle fall for one another.
There is another, infinitely greater love story that is truly as old as time — the story of God’s love for us. This story played out over thousands of years before Jesus came; however, the ultimate demonstration of God’s love came when Jesus went to the cross and died for our sins. Through his death, we are able to discover freedom from sin and enter into the greatest love story ever told.
This Sunday, we will celebrate the great love of God through the avenue of the Lord’s Supper. These symbolic elements — the bread and the cup — were given to us by Jesus on the night he was betrayed and arrested. He instructed his followers to use these two dinner staples as reminders of his sacrifice on our behalf. Jesus willingly gave his body and shed his blood so that you and I could enjoy forever the love of God. Through this simple act of eating bread and drinking from the cup, we are reminded of this incredible spiritual reality.
Anyone who is a follower of Christ is invited to participate in the Lord’s Supper. If you have children with you in worship who have not yet accepted the Lord, please offer them an alternative “snack” to the one you’ll be taking. Better yet, please take advantage of our children’s ministry programming this Sunday.
If you have children who are followers of Christ, you are more than welcome to have them worship with you this Sunday. The sermon will explain the “why” behind the Lord’s Supper, and the bread and the cup will be offered at the conclusion of my message.
I’m excited about our time together this Sunday, and I look forward to worshipping with you!
Your Pastor,
Kevin