Dear Rose Park,
One of my favorite responsibilities of being a pastor is having the opportunity to preside at the communion table. I love speaking the words of institution and inviting you all to come to the table of remembrance, communion, and hope. I love seeing families walk down the center aisle of our sanctuary together preparing for the bread and cup. I love hearing voices say, Thanks be to God after receiving the gifts of God. And this past Sunday, I found yet another thing I love about communion.
Typically, on a communion Sunday, one of our elders will offer the cup and I will offer the bread at the front of our sanctuary. When each person comes forward, I do my best to personalize the words of institution. For example, I’ll say: This is the body of Christ broken for you Rick or this is the body of Christ offered just for you Barb. It’s my hope that this small act would remind you that you are a known individual here at Rose Park and in the Kingdom of God. Normally this name-drop goes unnoticed, but this past Sunday was an exception.
Rylee Key, a second grader of our congregation, came forward with her grandmother Betty Van Klompenburg. As Rylee approached with cupped hands ready to receive the bread, I said to her: this is the body of Christ broken just for you Rylee. As soon as Rylee heard her name a huge smile broke across her face. Maybe I had something in my teeth or maybe she remembered something funny which caused her to smile, but I got the sense when she realized I knew her name she felt seen, known, and loved. It brought a tear to my eye and a quiver to my lip because in that moment I was reminded of the Good Shepherd and the love of Jesus from the Gospel of John: The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers (John 10: 3-5).
The Good Shepherd knows His sheep by name. He knows you by name. You are not a faceless or nameless individual in the greater family of God. Jesus, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, knows you by name. It’s my great hope that just as the Good Shepherd knows you by name, so too would you know the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him with your whole life.
Here at Rose Park, we desire to connect, empower, and reconcile. We do that best when we know we are seen, known, and loved. So, as we continue to imitate Christ’s humility and put others above ourselves, I’d encourage you to be intentional about knowing and remembering the names of those whom you encounter because when we do, we’ll be drawn closer to each other as we’re drawn closer to Him.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark
Photo by Pawan Sharma on Unsplash