When we do communion at Anchor, we usually have music playing underneath–sometimes the whole worship team, sometimes just a guitar or me at the piano. You know, setting a mood. Typically, we have people file to the front of the church to get the elements, so playing music works well.
Today, we did it differently, the way most [United Brethren] churches do it. The band played John Mark McMillan’s “How He Loves” while the ushers distributed the elements to people in their seats. Then the band stopped playing, and everyone took communion together. No music underneath.
As I stood on the platform, the bread and tiny plastic juice cup in my hand, I thought about the silence. It was…interesting.
I thought about that Last Supper. Did Jesus have someone in the corner strumming a guitar while he blessed the wine and bread? Was there nothing to set the proper mood? Nothing, that is, except the presence of Jesus?
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