The Bridal Banquet: Holy Communion for House Churches and Small Groups - Paperback

by Robert Schmidt (Author)

Meals were an important part of Jesus' ministry. He ate with prostitutes and sinners. He told the story of a dinner where the poor and homeless received a special invitation. When the prodigal son came home, his return was celebrated with feasting. Jesus even made sure there was enough wine for a wedding banquet. To a skeptical audience he said that he was the very bread of life. Then he celebrated the Passover with its rich story of liberation and deliverance. It was there that he invited all to receive the blessings of the meals of his ministry. In the Lord's Supper believers receive Christ as that bread of life. Like the prodigal son and other sinners, they are fed and forgiven. As in the Passover, they are liberated from that which enslaves them. There the attention is drawn to the blood of the lamb that has saved all believers now and forever. The meals in Jesus' ministry were done in the midst of life. Might people also bring the blessings of Communion to a church without a pastor, a soup kitchen, a house church, a refugee camp, or a prophetic community? This book shows how to do just that.

Author Biography

Robert Schmidt became interested in lay ministry in Nigeria. There, in addition to teaching at a seminary, he served ten congregations. As Professor of Theology at Concordia University in Portland, he served as Director of a Lay Assistant Ministry for Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. He has lectured on the lay celebration of Communion in Germany, Japan, China, Kazakhstan, and India. He is also the author of The Last Kingdom Standing.