Lakeside Community Presbyterian Church

“Follow God’s example, therefore,

as dearly loved children 

and walk in the way of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Ephesians 5:1,2

We have a new walker in our family!

That’s right! Granddaughter Charlotte (aka Charlie) started to walk while Karyn was back in Texas last week helping with Charlie’s newborn little brother, Asher.

It was amazing to see Charlie walk. The video of her walking was so much fun. I have watched it over and over and over again! It brings a smile to my face every time. (Ask me about it and I will quickly let you see it on my phone.) Daughter Lauren and husband Tom, are doing great, but they will definitely have their hands full with a newborn and a newly walking toddler.

Walking is an important part of our lives. We delight when toddlers begin to walk. It is one of the marks in their stages of growth. Walking allows us to explore. Walking allows us to go from place to place. We can exercise when we walk and for some, when we are unable to walk, we struggle.

Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians about walking. It is one of Paul’s favorite metaphors in his letters about the Christian life. He writes in the opening words of chapter 5 that we are to “walk in the way of love” and he gives the example of Jesus Christ on how we are to walk.

Let me ask you to do a self-check on how you are “walking in the way of love?” What evidence in your life shows that you are walking in love? How are you maturing in Christ, moving from a toddler who is just learning to walk, to a confident strider in Christ?

It is as each of us “walks in the way of love” with Christ as our example, we build up the body of Christ, helping it to mature and grow. So let’s together build-up the body of Christ as we walk in the way of love.

“Therefore,

go and make disciples of all nations . . .”

(Matthew 28:19a)

These parting words from Jesus to His disciples were words not only to those gathered around Him, but also to us, His disciples 2,000 years later.

But how do we “go” to all the nations? One of those ways is through the sending and supporting of others who are doing the task of making disciples of all nations.

This Sunday, we have the Ringenberg family coming to LCPC to give us an update about their work with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) in Indonesia. For over a decade, Dave and Linda and their family have been serving in Indonesia through aviation. Dave and others with MAF in Indonesia, help pastors, Bible translators, doctors, and others serve in remote areas. Through the support ministry of MAF, people groups in distant locations are able to learn about Jesus and hear the Word of God in their native language. The ministry of MAF and the Ringenbergs is one way that we are able to “go and make disciples of all nations.”

I hope that you can come this Sunday to hear their stories and to interact with Dave, Linda, and Ryan. If you can’t attend in person, then be sure to listen online.

“The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death

until He comes.”

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Someone asked me why don’t we partake of the Lord’s Supper every week? It is a good question, and different churches do observe and partake of the Lord’s Supper in a variety of different settings and at different times.

The Lord’s Supper, Communion, or The Eucharist is celebrated in a variety of different ways by different churches. Some partake of it weekly while others do it monthly, while still others offer it once a quarter. This is done for a variety of different reasons (some practical, others to keep the Sacrament of Communion sacred and not too common place) but the Bible doesn’t offer a specific time or place for remembering Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

We do know from the Book of Acts that the first Christians gathered in homes and shared the Lord’s Supper whenever they gathered. This was done weekly but sometimes daily. So, Communion in the early church was done around a dinner table, in the context of table worship.

This Sunday we celebrate Communion, and we join with the church down through the centuries and with churches today. We remember the gracious act of love that God demonstrated by sending His Son Christ Jesus to earth, who offered His life for us so that we might be forgiven and that we might have eternal life through Him.