The Lord's Supper (or Eucharist) has often been a subject of intense debate in the church. What is often lost in this debate is the significance of the relationship of the Eucharist to Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples, which was a Passover--or Passover-like--meal. Moreover, the Last Supper connects back to various meals in Jesus' earthly ministry. And it looks forward to the great messianic banquet as fulfillment of Jewish expectations. In exploring these connections, this book focuses on the three motifs of "new creation," "hospitality," and "hope" in Christ. Most significantly, when we break the bread and drink the wine (or juice) together we are asserting the reality of the new creation in Christ, affirming God's grace, forgiveness, and cruciform love which is to be embodied in the Christian community, and anticipating the day when God's present and ongoing work of restoration, justice, and reconciliation will ultimately prevail. The Supper, then, is basically a condensed summary of the story of God's plan of redemption. Hesselgrave brings together biblical, theological, ethical, and social insights in a way that deepens our understanding of the meaning and practical significance of biblical texts related to this central ordinance of the church.

"Do this in remembrance of Me." From the very beginning, the Lord's Supper has stood at the heart of Christian worship. But over the years we've trivialized it, squeezing it in between "real" worship. If Jesus lives in us, and the Holy Spirit is poured out on us, why do we need to eat bread and drink grape juice or wine? Does it really matter? It does matter--and it's life-changing, says leading Pentecostal theologian Jonathan Black. With warmth and depth, he explores not only how the table is still a powerful place of transformation and encounter with Jesus, but also how we can experience Christ's promise of presence, glory, healing, forgiveness, victory, and intimacy when we answer His call to come to the table. Whether you're feeling the lack of His presence, are ashamed of sin in your life, or have never felt anything during Communion, Christ's invitation to partake in His feast is your invitation to taste and see that the Lord is good.

Following his father's classic work CHURCH DOGMATICS, Markus Barth considered the doctrine of the Lord's Supper, which, had not received a full treatment. His work resulted in an exegesis of the Lord's Supper texts in the Synoptics, the Fourth Gospel, and the Pauline letters. His perspective sees the Lord's supper and its accomanying Agape meal as a symbolic event that allows God's people to commune in an atmosphere that remains open to all, including the Jews, whose Passover continues to shed light on this sacrament. His presentation covers the Lord's Supper, Passover, the relationship of Christians and Jews, and the participation of children in communion. He challenges the definitions of Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry as expressed in the Lima Document, offering one of the most sharply stated alternatives available. His discussion provides a reexamination of the Lord's Supper as a symbol of ecumenism--the opportunity for all God's people to celebrate together. This approach makes an important ecumenical contribution to understanding the Lord's Supper from a New Testament perspective.

Berg outlines the steps for forming a supper-swapping group and includes recipes, meal planning, and scheduling ideas that can help make mealtimes more fun and much more meaningful.

Graham Obermann is an established biographer of the Post-Impressionists. He is married to Celia Prosper, a modernist painter well-regarded by critics and collectors. As Obermann organizes a birthday party for Celia, looking after all the details, he descr