Making a Mess

In the children's sermon yesterday, Pastor Jack was explaining to the kids about unleavened bread. He told them that as the Israelites were preparing to leave Egypt, they were instructed by God:

This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover. (Exodus 12:11)

He said that they were to eat it standing up - so that they were ready to leave; to follow God's instructions.

He then went on to say that we stand when we hear the Gospel -- out of respect, but also out of the same kind of symbolism. We stand up to signify that we are ready to leave; we are ready to follow God's instuctions.

He broke off a piece of matzo bread and gave it to each child to taste. As he was breaking the bread, he worried that it was going to make a mess on the floor. And it did.

It occurred to me, listening to him, that communion is never neat. Communion with God is always messy. We can't truly break the bread without making a mess. Communion with God is messy. It doesn't go as expected; it isn't clean and easy. Life with God is messy -- thank God for it.