Sermon

Sermon text is as published by the speaker and is not a transcription of the service.

We began a series on the meanings of the stained glass windows at RUMC today. Past. Karen talked about the wheat, chalice and grapes before communion; she also talked about the Alpha, Omega and the Chi-Rho at the end of the service.

Symbols of Holy Communion

The word symbol comes from a Greek word meaning a token. In general, symbols are things, words, actions, images that point to further meaning beyond itself. Some are simple with one meaning; others are complex and can be interpreted in different ways. Many images evoke deep feelings as we spend some time in reflection on the symbol, particularly Christian symbols so it is important that we know something about the symbols we have around us.

As Protestants, our use of symbols was greatly affected by the Reformation when many symbols of the Catholic Church were rejected. Emphasis was placed on preaching and the word over rituals and symbolic representation of faith, perhaps to our loss as many of us are unaware of the great saints and martyrs and the richness of spirituality that visual representations can bring. It is important to understand the symbols that we have in our churches and for Riverside this would include the symbolism in the stained glass windows. So this month of July we are spending some time to reflect on these great symbols of faith.

Wheat: the symbol of the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us through his broken body in death.

Chalice and Grapes: symbols of the cup of forgiveness and the new covenant we have in his blood.

Alpha and Omega: - Revelation 22:13, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

XP: Chi-Rho -The first two Greek letters of Christ.

These are the symbols that embody the foundation of the church as they represent Jesus Christ to us when we see them.

Pastor Karen Powell

Riverside UMC, July 01, 2007

Sermon

Symbols of Holy Communion

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