The Lord’s Supper is a really important part of Church life, but we so often lose the deep sense of meaning as to what it is all about. The following list is a brainstorm of ideas about the various emphases that could be brought out when introducing the Lord’s Supper. I am sure that there are more, but it is a good start!

1. Remembering Jesus death [including the nature of the death]

2. Cleansing by his blood; we are clean

3. Unity of the body (1 Cor 11:29)

4. Prefiguring the end-time banquet (1 Cor 11:26)

5. Placing the Lord at the centre of the community life (1 Cor 11:20)

6. Covenant renewal (Ex 24; 1 Cor 11:25)

7. Body as the curtain – reconciliation with God (Heb 10:20)

8. New Passover Feast (1 Cor 5:8)

9. Unleavened loaf – get rid of the yeast => purity (1 Cor 5:7)

10. Celebration of our release from slavery (See Passover)

11. Marked with and participating in the new covenant sign

12. Eating together in the presence of God (Ex 24; 1 Cor 10:21)

13. The LORD’s supper – behaviour in gatherings (1 Cor 11:17-34)

14. Servanthood as the former of and model for the community (John 13)

15. Placing God in the reality of our everyday lives (1 Cor 11:17-34)

16. The Lord building his temple [reconciliation] (Eph 2:22)

17. Celebrating all the benefits of salvation

18. Manna & water from the rock – God’s miraculous provision and constant presence. (1 Cor 10:16)

19. Forming of Christ’s body – everyone has a place, all come on equal terms (1 Cor 12:12)

20. Our participation in Christ (1 Cor 10:16)

21. Link with a historical faith (in the realities of the events of the past and the celebration through history)

22. Means of grace and receiving God’s forgiveness

23. Awe at God’s action/work in Christ

24. Being right with each other

25. Life through the resurrection

26. Sustaining life – Food for the journey [spiritual food and drink]

27. Renewing and ratifying the covenant; allegiance to King Jesus

28. Linking past [act in Jesus], present [reality of that today] and future [expectation and hope]

29. Shared lives together

30. Considering Jesus’ life and humanity [incarnation]

31. Our link and solidarity with Jesus

32. Tool to teach children our history (Deut 6:7)

33. Reminder of sacrifice for everyone [evangelistic]

34. God’s expression of unconditional love for us

35. Symbol of hope in all circumstances

36. Freedom from slavery; from darkness to light

37. Inter-generational family event as all a drawn together in the symbolic nature.

38. Symbol of victory of God’s power and defeat for the enemy

39. Sacrifice [taking God’s judgment for us]

40. Forming the identity of the community in Christ