Thanks to Chris Duffett, in-coming President of the Baptist Union, I was encouraged to get involved in ‘creative evangelism’ on the streets of Birmingham with the group of mission trainees at IMC. It was a vulnerable, uplifting and amazing experience to share the message of Jesus with strangers.

Creativity is crucial as we communicate the love of Jesus in the world and if there is one thing I’d love the church to get creative about it is communion. This fellowship meal of thanksgiving is a meal of encounter with Christ who sends us to the world and we should be creativity enthusiastic about it!

I know it is a tradition passed on (although the 1^st Sunday in the morning and 3^rd Sunday in evening part wasn’t an early church thing was it?!). Tradition can be a positive thing. It is brings clarity, unites us with the faithful witness of people down the ages and invites us to the root of faith. I celebrate the meal as a tradition but that doesn’t meal it always has to be administered in the same way. When it comes to how we do the meal let’s be creative rather than rigid.

During my years leading churches and now training mission workers, I have enjoyed encouraging people towards the ‘table of grace’ in various ways. Some of these ideas have been formed by experiences from around the world. Here’s one idea I used recently...

It’s called ‘A Bitter Sweet Symphony.’

On the table there was wine, whole-brown and pitta bread and there were two other plates as well. One plate was covered in horseradish, the other plate smothered in honey. People were invited to the table (they got out of their seats) and took two pieces of bread. One to dip in to the horseradish to symbolise the suffering of the Israelites and the bitterness of the cross with a focus on Isaiah 53 and a reflection given about the groaning of creation today.

The other piece of bread was dipped in to the honey and a reflection given on Proverbs 27:7 ‘to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet’. The sweet taste symbolised the hope that Christ the Lord brings to the world and the fragrant sweet-smelling offering He is – see Ephesians 5:2

As for the wine – that was given out to the people (people received the wine in their seats) as a symbol of Jesus’ life poured out for all and we are called to pour out our lives too because Communion really is a place of mission as we are sent from the table to the world.

In the background, the song “40” by U2 was played as we reflected, prayed, tasted and became activity involved in thanksgiving. The song, based on Psalm 40:1 asks the question, “How long to sing this song?” and it’s a great way to remember that Christ has come and Christ will come again!

Be creative – develop your own creative communion and see people come alive to its meaning, its essence and its liberation. You never know it might just encourage people to be creative in their evangelism?

Revd Mat Wilson - Team Leader at BMS International Mission Centre.