Every Sabbath day, we witness the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Symbols of his body and blood rest on trays between white linens in a manner that resembles an actual body. When the ordinance begins, the white linens are drawn back and his body rises from the altar (table). The tokens of his body and blood travel out into the congregation and are placed before every individual member.
With our hand, we reach, grasp, lift and partake. We witness that we are willing to take the name of Christ upon us, to keep his commandments and always remember him. We take all this into our inner-most places, our minds, our hearts, and even our bowels (the seat of compassion).
The bread and wine (water) first enter our mouth on their journey and pass by our mind, then down our throat passing our heart, and then reach the bowels where they are absorbed into our entire bodies as nourishment. These tokens literally become part of us, transforming us; implying something much more profound.
4 Comments
You laid out an excellent order here – an order I find consistent in the teachings of the temple endowment. What you said is basically the Gospel of Jesus Christ as outlined in the temple. (Yes, there is an infinite more we learn as we go through the temple and ponder scripture, but I would say that what you presented here – the order of things – is a nice start for people who want somewhere to begin).
Nice, I wasn’t even thinking about the temple.
Everything is Kung Fu!
It sure is ;-)