Spending a few minutes in a muddy river during two of my sons’ baptisms ranks high in the list of Top Moments of My Life. This weekend, I had another amazing moment. I had the privilege of serving them communion at church.

Every church is different in the way they conduct the Lord’s Supper, or communion. One tradition that our church does is to hold a special communion service on the weekend nearest Christmas. Rather than pass the plates of juice cups and wafers down the rows, however, we did something different this year. We observed communion by intiction, where people came to the front of the church as they were ready, broke off a piece of bread, then dipped it in a cup of juice. Our pastors had the loaves of bread in the center aisle , then the line split off to each side of the stage where the two elders had the cups.

As one of those two folks, I had the honor to participate in serving communion to my church family. My job was to not spill the juice pray a brief prayer of blessing over each person as they came to dip their bread. As strangers, acquaintances, close friends, small group family, then two of my own boys came through the line, my heart was full to bursting. I felt a connectedness with them that mirrored the day of their baptisms. There was something intensely spiritual about sharing communion together in that way and having the chance to pray over them as not only my sons, but as brothers in Christ. It is a moment that I will cherish always.