Communion Meditations: 20 Short Readings for the Lord's Table

For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread. When he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me." In the same way he also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

— 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (WEB)

Notice when this happened. Not after the resurrection, when it would have been a victory celebration. On the night he was betrayed. Judas had already made his arrangement. Peter was hours from denying he knew him. Every person at that table would fail him before sunrise, and Jesus knew it. And knowing it, he passed them bread. That is who is inviting you this morning. Not a Christ who waits for you to get it right, but one who set the table on the worst night of his life, for people who were about to run. Come and eat.

— Original

Bread is the most ordinary thing on any table. It is not a delicacy. It is what you eat when there is nothing special about the day. Jesus could have chosen anything to be remembered by. He chose the thing you would encounter every single day, so that you could not get through an ordinary week without a reminder. This is his body. Take it in your hands. Notice how common it feels.

— Original

Tonight we do not rush to Sunday. The bread is broken because a body was broken. The cup is poured because blood was poured out. We say those words so often that they have gone smooth, but there was a day when they were literal, and it was a Friday, and it was awful. Hold the bread a moment before you eat it. This is what love cost.

— Original

Some of you are hesitating this morning because of something you did this week, and you are wondering whether you should take this. Hear this clearly: the table has never been a reward for a good week. Paul warns against taking it carelessly — treating it as nothing, or coming while refusing to be reconciled with the person in the next row. He does not warn the person who comes ashamed. That person is exactly who it is for. If you are in Christ, come. It is his table, and he has already decided about you.

— Original

"You proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." Until. There is an expiration date on this meal. One day the church will stop doing this, not because we lost interest, but because he will be here and there will be nothing left to remember. The bread will give way to a feast, and the cup to a wedding. So we eat this in the meantime — a meal for people who are still waiting. Come, and eat like people who expect him.

— Original

How long should a communion meditation be?

Two to four minutes, roughly 300–450 words. It is a bridge from the sermon to the table.

Who gives the communion meditation?

In most traditions that use the term, an elder, deacon, or lay leader — not the preaching pastor. It is one of the most common lay speaking roles in the church.

Do we have to read the words of institution?

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 is read in the great majority of communion services, and some traditions require it. Even where it is optional, it grounds the meal in scripture rather than in the speaker's reflection.

What do we say about who may take communion?

That depends on your church's practice — open, close, or closed communion. Whatever it is, say it plainly and kindly every time, so guests are not left guessing in the moment.