For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.  1 Corinthians 11:26

Do you know what Jesus is going to bring with Him when He returns?  Some believe He will bring wrath, death and judgment.  One popular talk radio host says that we are living in Biblical times and in the not too distant future things are going to be so bad that people in our country will resort to cannibalism.  He is basing his beliefs not on the Bible, but on the Book of Mormon.

I am not a Latter Day Saint.  But I will concede that when Jesus returns to this earth he is bringing a meal with Him.  A wonderful, sumptuous meal that will satisfy every human longing. (Revelation 19:7-9; 21:1-5a)

When we get to the new heavens and the new earth, it is a Supper!  And you know what?  There will be no more pain and suffering, crying, death and sorrow.  There will be no hunger, longings, and emptiness. It will be all gone.  And in its place will be joy, unspeakable and full of glory.  There will be delight.  There will be dancing.  There will be full-throated laughter.  There will be full stomachs. There will be complete and utter satisfaction.

So, what are the elements: the bread and the cup?  These are the appetizers of your future bliss.

When you take Communion, God is whispering in your ear, “Feel the texture of this bread, it’s the body of my son.  Taste the tang of this cup on your lips, it’s the blood of my Son.  I am unconditionally committed to getting you home.  There is nothing more I can say. There is nothing more I can do.”

In the book Lord of the Rings there is a siege of the great city Minas Tirith.  One of the hobbits, named Pippen, is scared.  He hears the battle drums of the Orcs and Trolls.  He feels the vibrations of the siege machines rolling towards the walls.  He is convinced that he is going to die along with everyone in the city.  The evil hordes begin to beat on the gates, scale the walls and invade the city. And just when all seems lost, he hears a distant horn.  The blast of the battle horn of Rohan resounds in the valley signaling a massive army of men to attack from the flank of the besieging army of Orcs.  The battle lines are broken and the city, Pippen and everyone is saved.

Tolkien then tells us that for the rest of his life, Pippen could never hear a distant horn without breaking into tears. Why?  Because the sound of the horn was an audible reminder of his salvation and when he heard it, he relived his salvation and it connected him to his past.  He remembered the sacrifice of the people who died to save him.  And no matter what kind of foul mood Pippen might be in, he couldn’t stay grumpy when he heard the horn, because it reminded him that every single moment of the rest of his life was a gift of grace.

Take, eat and listen.