1/12-19/22 6th grade: Communion - All are welcome at God's table.

 

6^th grade Axis Guide Sheet:  Communion. All are welcome at God’s table.

 

Takeaway – Jesus taught us to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. In it we are reminded of the forgiveness we receive from Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

 

Key verse – Luke 22:19, “Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

 

Discussion starters:

 

-Describe the best meal you’ve ever had…share as much detail as you can!

 

-Who do you typically hang out with & eat with? What are your meals like? How does your eating & drinking together build your relationships?

 

-Go back to your first communion…What do you remember? How did it feel? What did you think of the taste? Would you say you felt God’s presence?

 

-Why do you think Jesus chose eating & drinking as the action of this command? Why didn’t he use a different activity?

 

-Some people believe that in communion, the bread & wine actually become Jesus’ body & blood…How do you react to that? As Lutherans, we believe Jesus is truly present, “in, with, & under” the bread & wine. How exactly is a mystery, but a promise we believe in faith. How do these views differ? How do you understand communion right now?

 

-If we understand that the food we eat is broken down by our bodies to become physical energy, how does that help us understand what Communion does for our life of faith?

 

-What do you consider to be the best part about receiving communion in worship?

 

-What do you do during communion (Before & after you receive it)?

 

-How do you receive the bread & wine/juice? Do you say anything?

 

-If you could change something about how we do communion in church, what would it be? (Share these with Brent!) Why do you think we do things the way we do?

 

-What do meals look like at home? Do you have any rituals/traditions?

 

-What else do we do in remembrance of Jesus?

 

 

 

 

 

Further Reading:

-          Together, find Luke 22:14-20 & have someone read it aloud.

o   The four things Jesus does here (taking food, blessing it, breaking it, & giving it away) show up at other places in Jesus’ story too, such as in the feeding of the 5,000 (Luke 9:16). Why do you think Jesus broke the bread? How does the meaning change when you think of it as Jesus’ body?

o   Is breaking a bad thing or a good thing? What other things do you break in order to share it with others?

 

-          Now move on to 1 Corinthians 12:14-20 & have someone else read.

o   What does Paul say about the members of the church? How are the body parts different? The same?

o   Do you think we can do communion by ourselves? What would that look like?

o   Taking Paul’s ideas here & applying them, what is another way that Jesus’ body is present when we gather for worship?

 

 

Activity Ideas:

 

·         It’s a bake off! If you are up for it as a family, search for a bread recipe online. You can even find some specifically called “Communion bread.” Take a shot at baking bread together then serve it for a special family dinner.

 

·         Given for you and you can too! Anyone can serve communion! Practice serving each other using milk & cookies.

o   Words:

§  -Bread – the body of Christ, given for you.

§  -Wine/Juice – the blood of Christ, shed for you.

• Family Meal  Take time to savor a meal together. This may be hard these days (or easier for some?). But, as much as you're able, take time to prepare, eat, & clean up together. No devices, no agenda. Just time together. 

 

 

Further Reading:

 

The Sacrament of the Altar – found in the small catechism. Say What? Look again at the Sacrament of the Altar in your small catechisms. Work together to figure out what Luther is saying. Can you make a more modern translation?

 

 

Singing Grace – Those who’ve been to Wapo know about singing graces before meals. Come up with your own! Use a tune everybody knows. Can you draw a connection to communion? Have fun thanking God for the gift of food!