My list

First, go over to Toward the Mark to read Sara's sweet, sweet list. Then, see the list that it inspired Debbie to write at My Spot of Blog.

Now here is my list.

I just have one thing on my list.

It's not that there's only one good thing to put on the list. In fact, if I had to list all the things that I love and appreciate about my dear husband...well, even just hitting the highlights would take a long, long time. We've been married going on 19 years now. I've had a long time to discover good stuff. He is, I like to say, a real man. So, what tops my list?

He serves me communion.

Ken, my own dear sweet husband, is a lay minister at our church. It is a position that he humbly and gently carries out. One of his duties is to assist with the distribution of communion. And when it is his turn to assist, he serves me. Now, to understand why this is so significant to me, there are a few things about communion in a Lutheran church that you should know.

First, we have it every other week, for reasons I'll explain in a minute.

Second, we receive communion not in our pews, but up in front of the altar. Communicants come up to the communion rail - which is inside the chancel area right before the altar - in "tables" of roughly 10-15 people at a time. The Pastor distributes the bread and the Vicar or a lay minister distributes the wine. Then the next table comes up until all have been served.

Third, we understand communion to be a Sacrament. That is, it is a visible element (the bread and wine) with God's Word (Take eat, take drink...) and that in the Sacrament Jesus offers His very Body and Blood for the forgiveness of sin. It is for this reason that our churches offer communion frequently. Now. Not proseltyzing here. If you have a different understanding of Holy Communion, we're still cool, ok? I'm just trying to give you a sense of how precious receiving the Lord's Supper is to me.

Kneeling at the communion rail, I wait for Christ, who is truly present in, with and under the bread and wine, to come to me bodily for the forgiveness of sin. In communion I receive the very Body that was broken and Blood that was shed - on Calvary for all, but in communion for me. (Given and shed for you...) It is precious no matter who serves it to me, but it has special significance to me when my husband, who is my head, offers Christ who is my Head for comfort and strength.

I'm sorry, this is a poor explanation. It barely scratches the surface of what it means to me. But I am profoundly grateful for it nonetheless.