I was absolutely delighted to attend the 2024 Winter Youth Retreat at the beautiful Jersey Oaks Camp, NJ, from December 27 to 31. Seven churches were represented with a total of 45 kids. We had a rainy but rewarding weekend full of time spent with friends, in worship and in the Word.
One piece of the Word that was referred to often was 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which reads, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” This verse confirms that the Bible—a God-breathed book—is true and that it provides direction to the reproofed, corrected, and trained child of God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 also supports what is said in John 14:6: “Jesus said to [Thomas, his disciple], ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” Again, we have Scriptural validation of the Word of God being true, this time from the living Word of God.
Despite this confirmation, it is not uncommon to doubt the factuality of the Bible. We ask questions like, “Why did God let that happen?” or “What was the purpose of this?” or even just, “What does that mean?” Sometimes, Scripture is simply hard to understand. Because of that, I enjoy being reminded of the truth. And sometimes, that reminder comes in the form of Communion.
At the Winter Youth Retreat, we discussed what the purpose of Communion is. It was broken down into three bite-size pieces that we discussed day by day: Communion represents Jesus’ final sacrifice, reminds us of God’s amazing love, and calls us back to God. Communion mirrors the Last Supper, the meal Jesus shared with his disciples that foretold his death in our place, his body symbolized by broken bread and his blood by poured wine that they all ate and drank. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Jesus instructs, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Communion is an invitation to remember not only the perfect sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf, but also his victory over death and his promise to come again.
Romans 3:23 reminds us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are not able to save ourselves from the ultimate consequence of our sins, so our loving God sent Jesus, as illustrated by John 3:16. Communion helps us to remember how much God cares for us. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Jesus wants to be in a relationship with us and he is waiting to meet us where we are. Communion gives us an opportunity to reconcile ourselves with our Maker and celebrate.
Communion was a perfect topic for the Winter Youth Retreat as it served a similar purpose. Fellowshipping with my friends and worshipping our Lord and Savior for five days was a wonderful and well-needed reminder of the goodness of my God. It not only deepened my understanding of what had become a routine and shallow practice, but rekindled a fire for learning more about the Scripture and deciphering and discussing what it means. I hope that, in the coming spring, you may take Communion and be reminded of the unwavering truth of our God.
