Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Communion with Christ and with the Saints

"Communion with Christ and with the Saints"

Isaac Watts

Jesus invites His saints
To meet around His board;
Here pardoned rebels sit and hold
Communion with their Lord.

For food He gives His flesh,
He bids us drink His blood;
Amazing favor, matchless grace
Of our descending God!

This holy bread and wine
Maintains our fainting breath,
By union with our Living Lord,
And interest in His death.

Our heavenly Father calls
Christ and His members one;
We, the young children of His love,
And He, the firstborn Son.

We are but several parts
Of the same broken bread;
One body hath its several limbs,
But Jesus is the Head.

Let all our powers be joined
His glorious name to raise;
Pleasure and love fill every mind,
And every voice be praise.

Quoted in Worthy Is the Lamb: Puritan Poetry in Honor of Christ
Maureen Bradley; Edited by Don Kistler and Joel Rishel (page 238)

3 comments:

John said...

Thanks for this quote. I think it is well said. It certainly emphasizes that the Supper is for forgiven sinners of Christ's church.

John Meade

Ray Van Neste said...

Hey John!
Great to hear from you. I hope you are doing well.

Daniel and Tiffany said...

I like it a lot! The idea of us as Christians being the bread is a new way to look at it. I have been reading I Corinthians and Paul's discussion of Christians as the body has really stood out to me in the same sense. Thanks for sharing this. Blessings on you and your ministry :)