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25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” Mark 14:12-25 CEB  Rev. Ashley Sherard There is a lady in our church, we’ll call her Jane, who lost her husband very unexpectedly early one Sunday morning as he was out for a jog. I can’t imagine how that must have changed her life, her faith. She was sharing with me one Sunday after church how much she wished, when I gave the Words of Institution before The Lord’s Supper, I would not stop short of the part in which Jesus tells us He will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until He drinks it in the Kingdom. I had always just used the Words in our book of worship so I asked her, “Why would that be important to you Jane?” I was very interested to know as Ms. Jane has some really interesting views on things, (like me). Her answer had never even crossed my mind prior to this moment. Ms. Jane said to me, “When I lost my husband I searched the Bible for proof that he was ‘alive’ in some way, that I would meet him again someday and it was these words that Jesus spoke on the night He was betrayed that proved to me I would, in fact, be with my husband again and share a “meal” with him.” It had never crossed my mind, like I said. I had never thought to look at it these words in such a way. I had never even thought to search the Bible for proof of life after death, it was always just an assumption for me. As a part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) we meet at the Lord’s Table every time we get together and are often asked if it gets “common”….never. Sometimes the Bible can seem that way too, it’s “common” for those of us who have studied it, absorbed it, heard it preached for years but it’s when we share it with each other, as Jesus shared himself with us, that we find it anew. Don’t be afraid to talk about God’s Word and your view of it. It’s your relationship! Don’t be afraid to experience it, at the Table, in the sanctuary, in the coffee house! - - - Amazing God, thank you for sharing your Son with us, thank you for giving us a mind that thinks, that interprets, that uses our experiences to make your Word new with every new situation. In Jesus’ Name. Amen! Ashley is a Minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Senior Minister of Jerusalem Christian Church, a new church plant in Lafayette, LA. She is the mom of three beautiful, exceptional, daughters who couldn’t be more different from each other if they all had different parents. She has been with her husband for over ten years and multiple deployments and mobilizations with the U.S. Navy which is how they ended up in southern Louisiana. Above all else, Ashley values her very personal relationship with Christ knowing that in all of her strangeness, radical ideas, and sometimes hostile faith, she is loved. You can find Rev. Ashley at, facebook.com/jerusalemchristianchurch, and @jerusalemccdoc We would love to hear from you. There are several ways to communicate and connect:
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