About the Author

WHY Bread and Cup?

Bread and Cup is all about Jesus – highlighting one of the few memorials ordained by him for believers who share in the benefits of Jesus giving his body and blood as the sin-sacrifice for all mankind. Those who speak to the congregations prior to the participation in this Bread and Cup meal often read several New Testament statements by Jesus or the Apostle Paul.

Frustrated
In fact, a few communion verses are read so often they tend to become a predictable rote recitation – like an algebra formula, totally disconnected from our daily life. A2 + B2 = C2. Is boring too harsh? It becomes easy to go on autopilot – you know, taking a wafer with a splash of juice to wash it down. This cursory attention to Christ’s death can become epidemic.

Motivated
Several years ago I began recoiling from this mystical “vain repetition” pattern – especially as I saw myself doing the same thing. At the same time I was seeing everyday situations that freshly illustrated the meanings and applications of the Lord’s Supper – slightly like Jesus using common events to illustrate his teachings: children, fish, sheep, trees, fields, seeds, coins and water.

Activated
The more my mind opened to the close link Christ’s memorial meal and the cross have with my daily living, the more illustrations I discovered. Funny thing: We humans need physical connections to spiritual truths – knowns illustrating unknowns. Soon random illustrations started leaping into my writings and into my weekly emails to those providing meditation thoughts for the servers at our church.

And now these illustrations are joining the blog world . . . regularly if you would wish. Who knows, some of these blogs may even prompt you to see illustrations beyond your church walls and the final “Amen.”

One brother commented, “I hate to keep using your words in my communion talks, but they say what I’d like to say.”

My reply, “Imagine you are in the check out line at the store. A woman is embarrassed because the clerk is removing items from her grocery selections – because she’s short on cash. The man following her in line understands what he sees, so hands the clerk a $20 bill. ‘It’s for her,’ he whispers. That’s how Jesus illustrated his teaching, and you can do the same in your Lord’s Supper meditations.” [Note: He’s doing great.]

By the way, I’m still waiting for this event to happen to me – the one who pays the clerk, that is.

ABOUT RON CARLSON

One of many Ron Carlson’s found in Google, Facebook and Post Office walls.

Communicating
One common thread through his life: communicating – usually in writing.

• In high school, he took ENGLISH because it was required, and TYPING because it was an easy credit – and has spent about 60 years using those two valued tools Washington High supplied.
• As a Bible college student, he printed and sold, while gaining a degree.
• As a preacher briefly for a couple small country churches, he wrote, edited and printed for free, and for income.
• As a church youth director, he worked in type graphics and built a type setting company, then sold typesetting equipment and printing. On the side he wrote and published.
• As a printing salesman, he still wrote and published.
• As a Realtor, he is still writing and publishing – only now it is website content, e-newsletters and blogs.

CommuningThe bread and cup of the Lord’s Supper have been a vital part of my life since the 1940’s – probably about 3,300 times in assemblies of believers. However, I recall a few memorable exceptions:

• Once while sitting on a Union Pacific train somewhere between Cheyenne and Omaha.
• Once while sitting on a log along Ross Lake, Wyoming at 9,700-ft. elevation.
• Once while sitting on a hotel bed with four friends in New Delhi, India.

Must mention one Sunday in my teens when I visited a small church . Being the first person in the first row I was the first to receive the bread and cup. I silently panicked when the cup was handed to me – much larger than I had ever seen and nearly full. Before attempting to personally empty the cup, I recalled hearing about some who serve the juice to all in one container. For once I didn’t embarrass the congregation or myself.