Until He Comes Again

"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." - 1 Corinthians 11:26

Paul frames the act of communion with a grand, cosmic timeline. It is both a look backward and a look forward. In taking the elements, we "proclaim" or announce the significance of Christ's death. But we do so with an eye on the future, living in the space "until he comes." This phrase fills our present work with meaning. We are living in the "in-between" time—the era between the resurrection and the final restoration. Our lives are a continual proclamation. Communion is the regular, ritualized reminder of the story we are supposed to be living out every other day of the week.

At the end of every month, the small urban church celebrated communion. It was a powerful time of worship. But the pastor always connected it to their ongoing mission. As they passed the bread and the cup, they also collected a special offering for a local family in crisis, reminding the congregation that Christ's broken body compels them to care for the broken. As they prayed, they didn't just thank God for their salvation; they prayed for global justice issues, for an end to war and poverty. They understood that "proclaiming the Lord's death until he comes" meant actively working for the kind of world He died and rose to create. Their worship fueled their work, and their work was an act of worship.

Christ's death and resurrection are not just historical events to be remembered; they are the ongoing, animating realities that shape how we live until He returns. We are living in the final act of God's redemptive story. We "proclaim" His death and resurrection not only with our lips in worship, but with our lives through our work for justice, our acts of love, and our ministry of reconciliation. Every time we feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, or fight for the oppressed, we are proclaiming that a different King and a different Kingdom have arrived.

This month of focusing on Christ's death and resurrection is now concluding, but the mission is just beginning. As you look ahead, commit to one specific, ongoing practice that will help you "proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." It could be a monthly financial commitment to a justice ministry, a weekly volunteer hour, or a daily prayer for a specific issue. Choose one tangible way your life will be a living sermon that declares the reality of the cross and the promise of His return.

Your life is a living proclamation of Christ's death and resurrection. You have the profound privilege of demonstrating resurrection power to a watching world, working for the Kingdom until the day He returns to make all things new.

Jesus, we thank you for your death that gave us life, and your resurrection that gives us hope. As we remember You, help us to proclaim You—not just with our words, but with the very fabric of our lives. Empower us to be faithful witnesses, working for Your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, until You come again. Amen.