On Thursday evening of Passion Week, Jesus shared his final meal with his disciples, a meal we now call the Lord’s Supper. In it, he calls his followers to remember his great sacrifice on the cross. The breaking of the bread and the passing of the cup symbolize the body and blood of Jesus respectively.

Normally, each of our campuses host a Gathering or service the week of Easter to take the Lord’s Supper together. Since that is not possible this year, this guide will lead you in taking the Lord’s Supper in your home with your family or your small group via video conference.

Because the Lord’s Supper is an act of remembrance for followers of Jesus, any person who has believed on or trusted the Lord Jesus Christ alone for their salvation and has been subsequently baptized can participate. This means that some members of your family or small group may not be ready yet. This is a great opportunity to explain the good news of gospel.

Preparation

Put a loaf of bread or crackers on a platter and pour grape juice or wine in cups for everyone. It’s up to you to add music or candles to create a different environment. There are many ways to serve the Lord’s Supper. The important thing to remember is that this is a time of worship, celebration, remembering and reflection.

Passion Week Lord’s Supper Guide

Begin by reminding everyone of the purpose of the Lord’s Supper by reading this aloud…

We gather here to take the Lord’s Supper. Jesus instituted this meal for his followers as a regular remembrance and celebration of his sacrificial death. The breaking and eating of bread symbolize the body of Christ being broken on the cross. The drinking from the cup symbolize the shedding of his blood whereby we are forgiven. In this meal we worship him and give thanks for the forgiveness of our sins and the new life and relationship that we have in Jesus Christ.

Invite someone to read Isaiah 53:3-6

³ He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

⁴ Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

Distribute the bread and cups.  Then read the following…

Before partaking the Lord’s Supper, the church has often invited those present into a moment for confession. Confession is not something we do to make ourselves feel guilty. Instead, when we admit our sin, we are reminded of our need for grace. So, let’s now take a moment of silent prayer for us to confess our sin personally to God and then I will close us in prayer.

After about a minute of silent prayer, close by reading this prayer…

Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess. We confess our sin, our shortcomings, and the times we have opposed your will this week. You alone know how often we wander from your ways, how we waste your gifts, and how we forget your love. Have mercy on us and forgive us. Help us walk more faithfully with you. We thank you that you hear our confession. Amen.

Invite everyone to hold the bread in their hands and read the following…

The Scriptures tell us that when we confess, God is faithful and just to forgive. This bread and cup remind us of our assurance of his grace. In Christ, we are accepted, we are forgiven, we are loved. 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 tells us, ²³ For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when 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.”

Eat the bread together.

Then invite everyone to hold their cup and read 1 Corinthians 11:25-26

 ²⁵ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Close in your own prayer of thanksgiving or read the following prayer aloud…

Father, as we have received the bread and the cup, you have fed us with the spiritual food of the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you for assuring us of your goodness and love, and that we are members of his body. Renew us by your Holy Spirit, unite us in the body of your Son, and bring us with all your people into the joy of your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Optional: If you would like to worship through song, you can choose from Clear Creek original songs or a Spotify playlist at clearcreekresources.org/music

There’s a story in the book of 2 Chronicles (yes, 2 Chronicles) about Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. A few chapters earlier, the Bible tells us God was with Jehoshaphat because he sought the one true God, instead of the Baals – the popular idols of the day.

This is what we read picking up in Chapter 20:

“After this the Moabites and Ammonites [read: enemies of God’s people], and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, ‘A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar’ (that is, Engedi) [read: your land]. Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 20:1-4)

So basically, these guys show up and tell the king, “There’s this huge terrible thing coming towards you! But actually, it isn’t just coming, it’s already here!”

Does that sound familiar? Does it remind you of these crazy days of COVID-19?

Have you felt this sense of impending badness coming toward us? Have you wondered to yourself, How are we going to get out of this one? Or, What are we supposed to do?

Well, Jehoshaphat, as a faithful man, was afraid and so he went to the Lord. He prays in front of the whole nation. He says:

“O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?” (2 Chronicles 20: 6-7)

In this prayer, he’s stating things they all know are true about God – his strength, the promises he’s made, and the ways he’s been faithful to them before.

And then he says this:

“…For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12b)

What a great prayer! “God, we have no control, and we don’t even know what to do. But we trust you.”

To say that, and not only to say it, but to believe it – to not just know it, but to let it affect the way you live – when facing… what? Discomfort? Disruption of our normal life? The possibility of death?

“God we trust that you are strong, we trust that you are good, we trust that you love us, but mostly we trust that you have a plan through all of this.”

It reminds me of another passage from the Bible.

Jesus, facing his own impending discomfort/disruption/death, goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray right before he is betrayed by one of his friends.

“And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.'” (Matthew 26:39)

We all want God to just go ahead and call an end to all of this source of worry and disruption and uncertainty and of possible harm. We know he can do it. But we also know he knows what he’s doing. It’s out of our hands. And what better hands for it to be in?

So, Jehoshaphat and his people come to the edge of the battlefield and find all of their enemies laying dead on the ground.

Jesus goes to the cross and dies for the sins of the world.

We don’t know what’s around the bend for us. But this is what we do know: God is strong, God is good, God loves us, and most of all, God has a plan.

He has a plan for the world through all of this. Who knows in what ways he might use his people to reach people in the world?

He has a plan for us through all of this. Who knows how he might transform our own hearts – refining us, leading us to let go of control and some of our other idols, softening our selfishness – through all of this?

And he has a plan for the grand story of the world that passes right through all of this. He knows the end. He knows it ends with every knee bowed and every tongue confessing that Jesus is Lord.

Friends, trust in God – through COVID-19, your happiness, your heartache, and everything in between.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)

All of the sudden, our entire lives have been turned upside down. School is canceled. Travel is canceled. Parties, sports, concerts, lessons, church—all of the activities that fill our schedules have suddenly been put on hold. We finally have the time to rest, but upheaval and uncertainty have left us more tired, worried, and burdened than before. In the midst of unwanted change and overwhelming circumstances, followers of Jesus have a great need to rest—yet it can seem impossible to find. 

Hurry is not just a disordered schedule; it’s a disordered heart.

– John Ortberg

We know we need rest, but we aren’t sure how to find it. What do you do for rest? Is it a glass of wine—or three? Is it a Netflix binge at night? A quick escape to Target? Are we even allowed to rest, as people who are supposed to be everything and do everything for work, family, and friends? What do we need in order to find rest in our lives and hearts? Our culture offers plenty of ideas, but let’s discover what God tells us about rest. 

The foundation for biblical rest is established in the creation account. In Genesis 2, we find two different Hebrew words for rest: 

“So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested [sabbat] from all his work that he had done in creation.” (Genesis 2:3)

The first word for rest, sabbat, literally means to stop, and the first depiction is God himself stopping in his task of creation. A little further into the story, we see another Hebrew word for rest, nuakh, which can be understood as to abide or rest in.

“The Lord God took the man and ‘rested him’ [nuakh] into the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15)

In Genesis 2, where we come to understand the purposes of creation, we already have a picture of what it means biblically to rest: to stop and to abide. 

In Eden, there was rest as God intended. Adam and Eve were at rest with each other and the world, in their work and in the presence of God. But as we all know, this Sabbath rest did not last. Adam and Eve rejected the rest God had offered and chose instead to make their own way, to disastrous results. The remainder of the Bible is the story of God’s faithfulness to return us to the rest of Eden.   

The biblical story comes to a climax as the Son of God enters into our restless world as the perfect embodiment of the Sabbath we were all intended to experience. The future and complete rest promised in the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. 

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Jesus is inviting us to come and live as his people—to learn from him and abide in him, and through it, to find rest. Through Christ and in Christ, our rest is complete. 

Jesus allows us to stop (sabbat) in the midst of all the activities, expectations, and burdens this world places on us. Whether we are navigating education, working from home, or constantly checking the news for updates, Jesus calls us to stop and trust that he created and continues to control the world. 

But we are called to more than the mere ceasing of activity. 

Jesus is the presence of God himself in whom we abide (nuakh) to find rest. In Jesus, Sabbath is possible, not just as a day, but as a way of life. We can finally return to the rest that God intended for us in Eden, finding rest in Christ from the worries of this world. 

When we wonder how to practically live at rest in the midst of our upturned lives, we can look to the life of Jesus.

His life was full, but never striving. He took time to rest with his Father. He got up early to be alone and to gather himself with God. 

As embodied persons, we live in space and time and thus need space and time to experience rest. But at the end of the day, rest is found in relationship with a person: Jesus. 

What this looks like for you is as unique as the person you are and the life you lead. It might mean putting your phone away to protect yourself from anxiety or comparison. It might be letting go of perfectly planned schedules. It might be less work than you think you should be accomplishing. It always means moving toward Jesus each day to quiet your fears and focus your heart.True rest is found in following Jesus—stopping what the world is calling you to and abiding in the presence of Christ. 

One day, Jesus will return to makes all things new and we will experience perfect rest. 

As we figure out new schedules and navigate the uncertainty of the future, may we each choose daily to stop and find life and rest in Jesus. Let’s learn to trust him with our time, our hearts, our entire lives, so we can find rest in the only one in whom it truly can be found.  

 You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.

– Augustine

About 5 million or 3.6 percent of the US workforce work at home half of the time or more. That was until the recent COVID-19 global pandemic.

Many jobs still must be performed in person, but for those jobs where it’s possible, companies and organizations across the country have advised or required their workers to stay home yet still work.

For many people this week, they are unexpectedly (and maybe unwillingly) joining the ranks of the millions of people who work from home (or WFH as the cool people who do it call it). So, to get a little help for the WFH rookies like me, I turned to a few experienced telecommuters who are part of Clear Creek for some tips. Here’s what they said…

1. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
   “Working from home all comes down to trust for managers and employees alike. Communication helps you establish that trust together and maintain it throughout any difficulties. Make sure to have a conversation with your supervisor to establish the rules of engagement for teleworking. Things that can be covered include: tasks you can complete from home, how and how often you will communicate with your manager, coworkers, and customers, and how your manager will know you’re being productive.

   “Since this is so new and every situation is different, now is the time to mention issues and constraints you know of up front, like children at home in need of care and attention, so those things can be factored into your plan. And just because you’re home doesn’t mean you can’t meet as a team. Use Skype, Zoom, etc. as your company allows. If your company doesn’t already have a preferred tool, there are tons out there for teleconferences, video conferences, etc.”

2. Create Your Office Space
   “Designate a space for teleworking/your home office, whether that’s an entire room or part of a room. It doesn’t have to be the perfect working environment, but try to separate the workspace from your household noise and the household from your work-related noise (a door is a plus!). Use the best resources you have available, and if something would help you, ask. Your company might let you borrow monitors, a mouse, keyboards, etc.

   “Be mindful of ergonomics, especially the longer you’re teleworking. The small discomfort from a day hunched over a coffee table can become very painful if that position is repeated day after day for weeks. And, if you need a change of scenery, try working from a different area in your home, or even outside. You don’t want to find yourself sitting on “your spot” on the couch all day, and then back in that same spot at night for family movie night and feel like you haven’t moved.”

3. Set Boundaries
   “Pretend you’re going into the office. The biggest reason people burnout from working at home is that they don’t establish healthy boundaries, and so the line that normally exists between ‘work’ and ‘life’ gets blurred. For instance, when you go to get a cup of water from the kitchen, it might be tempting to spend 15-30 minutes doing the dishes, taking out the trash, tidying up, or watching a little TV. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but when it happens repeatedly throughout the day, you won’t accomplish as much as you needed to during the day, and you might attempt to make that time up in the evening, or even get up early the next day to make up for it. When that happens, you end up feeling like you worked all day but didn’t really accomplish anything. And your family feels like you’re working all day, and not connecting with them. So, try very hard to make your work day your work day.”
4. Establish Your Routine
   “Use your normal routine as a model if possible. Wake up at the same time. Take a shower. Get fully dressed every day. Make coffee. Eat your normal breakfast. While it may be tempting to skip the shower or stay in your PJs all day–those things are vital to preparing your mind to switch into ‘work’ mode. I’d even suggest getting ready for work and driving around the block to simulate a commute. Anything that will help you mentally ‘clock-in’ and ‘clock-out.’”
5. Make a To-Do List, Plan Your Week, Set Goals
   “You probably already do this, but it’s especially important when most likely there will be more distractions than normal. Making a To-Do List provides you a great tool for tracking your progress and letting your manager know how you’re being productive. Whether you need to check in daily, weekly, or on some other rhythm, you’ll have all the info you need at hand. Remember that not every supervisor will be practiced and comfortable managing teleworking employees, so do your part to build and maintain that trust we mentioned earlier. This is also your opportunity to show your supervisor grace whether you feel you’re being micromanaged or not checked on often enough.”

Working from home has potential to introduce you to a whole new world of distractions and temptations keeping you from faithfully performing your job. In the midst of a unique working situation, we would do well to remind ourselves of why and for whom we ultimately work. We are called to work hard with integrity, joy, and faithfulness as if our ultimate boss is the Lord who sees all things and knows all things. May we do that well in this season.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
– Colossians 3:23-24

**Special thanks to software company executive, Tim Dikun, and aerospace engineers Josh and Jes Keely for their contributions to this article.

Ryan Lehtinen

Ryan is the Campus Pastor at Clear Creek Community Church’s Egret Bay Campus. He is a graduate of the University of Texas and holds a MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Seminary.