A missionary by the name of John Paton took the gospel to the people of the New Hebrides islands. After many trials and difficult seasons, Paton reported the unspeakable joy he experienced when he served the first Communion to a group of new believers at Aniwa: "For years we had toiled and prayed and taught for this. At the moment when I put the bread and wine into those dark hands, once stained with the blood of cannibalism but now stretched out to receive and partake the emblems and seals of the Redeemer's love, I had a foretaste of the joy of glory that well-nigh broke my heart to pieces. / shall never taste a deeper bliss till I gaze on the glorified face of
Jesus himself." What a powerful picture this story paints for us! What a privilege to memorialize the
Lord's forgiveness in the Lord's Supper and to share the meal with other believers. Each of us was dead in sin and unworthy to take the Table until God made us alive in Christ. May we never get over the wonder of the gospel — the wonder of taking the bread and the cup, reminders of the Lord's torn flesh and precious blood shed on our
behalf. I hope to see each of you at our communion service this Sunday evening at 6 PM to sing, pray, and reflect on Scripture that points us to our glorious Savior! May we all
come to the Table with unspeakable joy!