St. Boniface House

This meal that we are about to eat is called, in the Covenant Renewal Liturgy, the “peace offering”. In the order of worship that God spells out in the Bible, the worshipper begins by drawing near with a “sin” or “purification” offering, to atone for sins. We must be cleansed of our sins to come into the presence of God. Then the worshipper offers an “ascension” offering (sometimes regrettably called in our English Bibles a “whole burnt offering”), in which the sacrificial animal is entirely consumed by the flames of the altar, transforming the animal (and by substitution, the worshipper) into something glorious and fit for fellowship with God. The worshipper adds his own gifts to the ascension offering in the Tribute offering, thereby giving his whole self and all his life to the Lord, fulfilling the meaning of all the offerings, which is the giving of the self to the Lord. And finally in the peace offering the worshipper gives a sacrificial animal which is eaten by the Lord, and by the priest, and by the worshipper, together in a fellowship meal.

Of course we don’t offer animals anymore, because Jesus has died on the cross as a sacrificial offering. Jesus took the place of the bulls and goats, once for all, so that now in him what all the sacrifices always meant is fulfilled—we are enabled, through our union with the risen Messiah, to give ourselves wholly to the Lord. Jesus is our purification offering—because of his sacrificial death we may come and confess our sins, and plead his blood in the heavenly Holy of Holies. Jesus is our ascension offering, and through his word we are transformed from glory into glory, and by our union with him we ascend with him into the heavenlies, to be brought into fellowship with the Triune God. And Jesus is our peace offering. The bread and the wine, Jesus’ body and his blood, are a fellowship meal, a peace offering, a feast together between God and his royal priesthood, the church.
The ancient church used to say to one another at this point of the service, “Peace to you” or “The Peace of Christ be with you”, to which the response would be, “And also with you”, or “And with your spirit”. I have suggested a few times now that it would be appropriate, given the fact that this is a feast, to speak to one another during the distribution of the bread and the wine. Perhaps these ancient words are something we could say to one another. But let us not forget the point of the peace offering. God is sitting down at a meal with you. The service has moved from tension to rest. You are at peace. God declares in this meal that you are his friend. And he demonstrates this by doing what friends do—by eating together. Therefore take heart. God is not at enmity with you. There is no longer any hostility between you. He has made peace, and now he delights to call you his sons and daughters.
This is the Lord’s Table…