Exodus 29:33

They are to eat these offerings by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no one else may eat them, because they are sacred.

From Background Notes [BN] for April 21^st & 22^nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The term “sacrament” is often misunderstood, and I have had to answer questions about whether the word has anything to do with what happens to the bread and the wine during communion. In fact, the term comes from the Latin, sacramentum, which has to do with making something sacred...

Another way of thinking about this is to see ordinary things, like bread and wine, put to sacred use. Dedicating ourselves to the service of Jesus Christ our Lord is also a form of sacramental worship. What is the purpose of a sacrament? Primarily, it reminds us of our need for God to take the ordinary things in our lives and grace them with His presence and purpose. Looked at this way, sacraments are rightly called “means of grace,” but they require faith on our part for them to have the desired result in our lives. They are not magic, nor should they be treated that way.

Early in our Christian experience, either as new born children or as accountable adults, we make our first contact with the reality of God. Perhaps the most basic forms of human nourishment from our mothers or the gentle caress of our fathers or the smiles from admiring strangers sent strong messages that we were special and blessed and loved. From such encounters, we felt God’s presence, whether we had ideas or words to go with it or not. The church, through its example and teaching, tries to explain such experiences to us as we become more aware. Children are a special part of the church’s educational ministry, for what is learned at this early stage matters for the long-term. Preparing them for first communion is vital within the life of the church.  [BN, 1]

Join us this week in Study, Worship, Praise and Celebration at ChicagoFirstChurch of the Nazarene –

* Saturday 6:00pm
* Sunday 8:30am & 11:00am, 5:30pm