Dear Friends,
In just two Sundays, I’ll begin a six-weeks of mystagogy on Holy Communion. I know what you’re thinking—I know what Holy Communion is, but what is mystagogy?
Mystagogy means learning or teaching about the mysteries. You’ll recognize ‘mysta-‘ from the word mystery, and ‘-gogy' from ‘pedagogy.’ It can also mean initiation into the mysteries. All of this is to say—Holy Communion, whatever might be said about it, is fundamentally a mystery, a wonder, a marvel, a source of awe.
Every Sunday we come to the table and we celebrate the mystery of Jesus’ flesh and blood among us. We celebrate the wonder of becoming Jesus’ body. And our language doesn’t do justice to the mystery of God’s holy presence among us--in, with, and under material things like bread, wine, and human bodies.
So we’re going to start on April 17th, after church, talking about Jesus, and how the mystery of Holy Communion is actually a mystery about Jesus—not a mystery to be solved, but a mystery to enter.
On those same Sundays, I’ll be teaching our Sunday School kids about the mystery of Holy Communion in a way that’s appropriate for them.
I hope, that at the end of the year, we can all proclaim the mystery of our faith, as we say in the rite of Holy Communion:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Pastor John
P.S.: Just to be clear: April 17th, after church for the adults and before church for the kids.
In just two Sundays, I’ll begin a six-weeks of mystagogy on Holy Communion. I know what you’re thinking—I know what Holy Communion is, but what is mystagogy?
Mystagogy means learning or teaching about the mysteries. You’ll recognize ‘mysta-‘ from the word mystery, and ‘-gogy' from ‘pedagogy.’ It can also mean initiation into the mysteries. All of this is to say—Holy Communion, whatever might be said about it, is fundamentally a mystery, a wonder, a marvel, a source of awe.
Every Sunday we come to the table and we celebrate the mystery of Jesus’ flesh and blood among us. We celebrate the wonder of becoming Jesus’ body. And our language doesn’t do justice to the mystery of God’s holy presence among us--in, with, and under material things like bread, wine, and human bodies.
So we’re going to start on April 17th, after church, talking about Jesus, and how the mystery of Holy Communion is actually a mystery about Jesus—not a mystery to be solved, but a mystery to enter.
On those same Sundays, I’ll be teaching our Sunday School kids about the mystery of Holy Communion in a way that’s appropriate for them.
I hope, that at the end of the year, we can all proclaim the mystery of our faith, as we say in the rite of Holy Communion:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Pastor John
P.S.: Just to be clear: April 17th, after church for the adults and before church for the kids.
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