At a funeral this week, two people wore Manchester United football shirts, and the order of service featured a photograph of the deceased alongside the 1991 European Cup Winners Cup. He was a big fan, often taking the coach from Chieveley to Old Trafford for a match. What is it like to sit in the Stretford End, one of 20,000 singing and cheering, experiencing the passion and energy?
Rather than draw parallels between a football matches and churches, I want to consider the identity or being part of something bigger than yourself. That ‘bigger’ can take many forms: family, hobby, particular interest, who you work for, or where you live – or the faith that holds you. In a community, the self is willingly obscured by what is shared, and the community is held together by ideas, presence, things done with and done for each other; all with a goal more worthy than ‘me’.
Holy Communion is something Jesus gave to his followers (to us). It is something we do when we meet together and as we do, we recall the most important thing Jesus did for us: “This is my body, which is for you”; and “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Cor 11:24,26)
Raymond