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Sunday Mornings at Overbrook
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Step 1: Read the following:

WHAT IS CELEBRATE COMMUNION UNIT ABOUT?
Most of us think of celebrating communion in the context of a Christian worship service. The ritual and sacrament in many denominations may be called by different names, be celebrated in different ways, and have different theological understandings, but the sharing of bread and wine is central to the identity of Christians everywhere.
The celebration of communion, however, is not limited to church buildings. It is a practice that extends beyond the Lord’s Table to tables in homes and soup kitchens. Whenever we take bread, give thanks, break the bread, and give it to others, we carry the celebration of communion with us into our daily lives and the world. We remember Jesus and all the meals he shared and look forward to the great banquet where all are fed.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY about this Unit?

Jesus takes bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and gives it to others. Those familiar actions take place when Jesus feeds a multitude with five loaves of bread and two fish. Those same actions are repeated when Jesus shares a Passover meal with his disciples. The Gospels record many meals Jesus shares with people from all walks of life. How many times he must have taken bread, blessed it, broken it, and given it! Even after he is resurrected, Jesus is seen doing the familiar actions of breaking bread and cooking fish with his community.
Jesus uses bread to tell his followers who he is. He calls himself the bread of life and says that the broken Passover bread is his body. He instructs his disciples to eat and remember him. He also teaches his followers how to behave as hosts and guests at dinner parties and challenges us to set a table where all are welcome.

HOW WILL CHILDREN CONNECT to this Unit?

For people of all ages, sharing food with others is one of the joys of life. Children delight in their favorite foods and special meals shared with special people. They know how important it is to be included at the table. No one wants to sit alone in the school cafeteria or be left off the guest list for a classmate’s pizza party.
Children want to be included at the Lord’s Table too. Despite the small portions, children know that the meal is special. They know that the bread is called Christ’s body, and the juice is called his blood. That is alluring, mysterious, and grotesque at the same time. Children do not fully understand the mystery of the sacrament; nor do any of us, but their sense of belonging to this church family that shares this meal is powerful.
Beginning with an invitation to share food together, each session helps children explore how the Lord’s Table is connected to all tables where hungry people are fed.

Step 2: Continue On

Want to learn more? Read the
Foundational Essay for Celebrating Communion
⁠
, or
Dive into
Session 1: Give Thanks
⁠
to see your role(s) in the lesson sequence and responsibilities.

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