Living Love(d) at the Lord’s Table:

Celebrating the Lord’s Supper at the National Youth Gathering

Participant’s Guide

Living Love(d) at the Lord’s Table: Celebrating the Lord’s Supper at the National Youth Gathering

It was the last night before he was unjustly executed. He gathered together his closest followers to celebrate one last meal together. It was already a special meal—one that their people had been celebrating for centuries as they remembered God’s deliverance centuries earlier. As the evening progressed, however, this meal of remembrance became something much greater. On this evening Jesus was doing something new. He was starting a new meal. It would become known as “The Lord’s Supper,” and it stands at the foundation of what it means to be a Christian. There will be many highlights at the National Youth Gathering in San Antonio this summer: great bands, inspiring speakers, much needed service projects, and insightful Bible studies. But of all the highlights in San Antonio 2013, our celebration of this special meal during the Worship Service on Thursday morning might just top them all. This study is designed to help you understand why. It will take a close look at the last meal that Jesus shared with his disciples. It will examine why we continue to celebrate it, how we should prepare for it, and what actually takes place when we join together in the Lord’s Supper.

What’s Going On Here...Really? It’s hard to tell these days what is really going on. It is pretty obvious that “reality TV” isn’t anything close to life in the real world. It’s also obvious that much of what we see on the internet and on Facebook isn’t real either. What is the most outlandish “reality TV” program you’ve seen?

What was the last thing you saw on the internet or Facebook that clearly wasn’t real?

Where do you go for information when you want to know what’s really going on?

It’s hard to know what is really going on sometimes. As we get ready to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together in San Antonio, it is important to understand what is really happening when we gather for this special meal. As Christians we turn to the Scriptures to see what is really going on in life. When we search what the Scriptures say about the Lord’s Supper, we find four important “realities” in this meal. The first two have to do with your relationship with God as an individual. They help us understand what is going on between you and God in this special meal. The last two have to do with your relationships with other Christians at the

same table. They help us see that when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we never celebrate it alone.

Reality #1: Real Presence Read Mark 14:12-25. What special meal had Jesus and his disciples gathered to eat? What did Jesus say about the bread and wine? Read 1 Corinthians 10:16. What does Paul say about the bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper? Summary Point: The bread and wine we eat at the Lord’s Supper really is the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Reality #2: Real Forgiveness Read Matthew 26:27-28. Why did Jesus shed his blood? Read 1 John 1:5-9. What does the blood of Christ do? What does God promise to do for us when we confess our sins? Summary Point: We receive forgiveness when we eat and drink the body and blood of Jesus in this meal.

Reality #3: Real Unity Read 1 Corinthians 11:17-22. What was wrong with the church in Corinth when they came together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper? Read 1 Corinthians 10:17. What does this passage say about those who commune together? When Christians comes together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, they rejoice that God unites them with Christ through his body and blood. They also rejoice in the unity God has given us with one another. This unity is symbolized in some congregations by offering the blood of Jesus in what is known as the “common cup,” in addition to smaller individual cups. Is there a difference in what we receive between drinking from an individual cup and the common cup at the Lord’s Supper? Summary Point: Those who celebrate the Lord’s Supper are united as one body.

Reality #4: Real Confession Read 1 Corinthians 11:26. What does this passage say about celebrating the Lord’s Supper? C. F. W. Walther, the first president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, said that when a congregation celebrates the Lord’s Supper, the pastor is not the only preacher in the building. What do you think he meant by this? Summary Point: When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper we confess our faith together.

Are You Ready for these Four Realities? Each time you have the opportunity to celebrate the Lord’s Supper—including at the National Youth Gathering—you should ask yourself if you are ready. We read why in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Read 1 Corinthians 11:27-29. You are ready to commune if... 1. You repent of your sins 2. You recognize the body and blood of Jesus 3. You rejoice in the unity we share 4. You are ready to proclaim the Gospel with these Christians What if you are not yet ready? Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the Christian faith. Maybe you do not know what Missouri Synod Lutherans believe. It might be that you have some questions about the four realities we just discussed. If that is the case, you are probably not ready to commune at the National Youth Gathering. Don’t feel bad, though. You should never feel pressured to commune—not in your home congregation or at the National Youth Gathering. When you are at the Gathering, there are several options for what you might do during the Lord’s Supper if you will not be communing. You can stay in your seat and listen to the music that will be sung. Or, you can walk forward together with your group and cross your arms to indicate that you are there for a blessing. If you choose to come forward, the pastor distributing the Lord’s Supper at your station will say a prayer of blessing for you. Although you might not be ready to commune with us in San Antonio, we hope that you will be ready to celebrate the Lord’s Supper sometime soon. God gives us life-saving gifts through this meal, and we want you to enjoy them with us. Please spend some time in the coming weeks and months talking to your youth leader or pastor about this special meal. We look forward to communing with you in the future! Closing Prayer