Jodi Detrick

Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center

I’ve been told lately that I sometimes talk in blanks . . .

Sad to say, this accusation has been leveled by members of my own beloved family. I hate to admit it, but they’re right. I will be talking in perfectly fluent English when, suddenly, a word I know as well as my own middle name will escape me.

“Honey, will you go get me the … the … ” (What is that thingamabob called anyway?) I wildly gesture in the general direction of the desired object, hoping that will be enough of a clue to identify the article I want. My daughter just rolls her eyes.

“You’re talking in blanks again, Mom! Use your words!” This can happen outside the family setting as well, and it’s even more unnerving then. Recently, I was addressing a group of church leaders:

“It occurs to me that the really important thing, the, uh, the … ” (What was that word again? Is it “crush,” or “crust”? No, no that’s not it! Think, Jodi. Everyone is staring at you, waiting for you to spit it out. CRUX! That’s it! Crux!) “the crux of the matter is … is … .” Too late.

Now that I’ve finally figured out the right word, I’ve forgotten my point entirely and I’m talking in blanks again. It would be nice if people would just fill those in without reminding me about things like menopause and the likelihood of escalating forgetfulness in the years ahead.

Memory is tricky. Why is it that we often remember what we’d rather forget and forget what we want to keep in mind? I’m not sure, but I know there are many verses in the Bible that tell us to remember certain things.

“And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

” … remember the poor … ”

“Remember the prisoners as if chained with them … ”

One of the most important observances or worship rituals in the Christian faith, Communion, is based upon a reminder. (It can also be called Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist, and the Sacrament of Communion, among other names.)

Within the various facets of Christianity, the observance of Communion differs slightly. For some, it is observed weekly. For others, it is offered monthly or even irregularly.

Some churches require participants to be a certain age, to have completed prerequisite classes or to be a member of that congregation. For others, open Communion is practiced, which means participants need only have expressed faith in Christ.

The actual receiving of Communion can have variations, as well. However, the basics usually include the reading of certain Scriptures and a time for prayerful self-examination, along with the eating of the bread and the drinking of the wine/grape juice (called the “elements”), which represent the body and blood of Christ as he gave his life for humanity.

Despite the differences in the way it is observed, one thing is true for all who participate in Communion. We are acting upon a reminder from Jesus. He said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24)

It strikes me that he knew ahead of time how forgetful we humans can become. He knew that we would not only forget common words and people’s names and lose our train of thought. He understood that, in the busyness of daily living and the information overload that occupies our minds, we would be prone to forget the most important act of love in history. We would forget the cross. So he instituted a simple ceremony, involving eating and drinking (something we are not likely to forget!) as a string around the finger of those who believe in him.

The act of Communion reminds us that God came looking for us. Not in a search-and-destroy mode, but on a mission to rescue and restore. In one of my favorite verses, God says, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

Communion helps us remember that God chooses to forget our flaws. That is the crux of the matter.

Oh, by the way … the word crux is from the Latin meaning “cross.” Keep it in mind.

Jodi Detrick serves as the Assemblies of God Chairperson for the Network for Women in Ministry.She is also a public speaker, an author and a life coach.

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company