Study of The Sacrament

I have often times wondered why Bishops would not pass the sacrament or communion to the patrons in the foyer. I thought it was a tad insensitive and unmerciful that the people who were willing to come to church would not be given the opportunity to participate in that ordinance. Today however we had a lesson on the sacrament by our local bishop and he said something that really made sense and resonated with me.

The sacrament is one of only two ordinances that we can participate in outside of the temple. It is a weekly ordinance where we recommit ourselves to Christ and renew the covenants that we have made. There is spiritual and mental preparation that we need to make in order to make it any different than eating bread and drinking water. We have to come with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. There is a reason why I typically show up a half hour early to church and it is to prepare myself for the sacrament, to help prepare it physically at times, and to take the time to remember Christ and those covenants that I am renewing.

In our ward, we have priesthood holders who stand at the doors of the chapel once the sacramental hymns begin. They do not let any come in or go out during the hymn as well as the blessing and passing of the sacrament itself. Our bishop made this comparison: How are the temple ordinances performed, such as the endowment? Do we allow patrons to enter and leave as they wish or do we allow those who have prepared themselves and arrived on time to participate? How distracting it would be if people carried on private conversations or answered texts from their cell phones? The only difference between regular family wards and single adult wards is that the sacrament is passed in the foyer to parents and mothers who take their children out to limit distractions. These patrons can still participate from the foyer because they can hear the sacramental prayers (prayer and hymn both). Where we hold our sacrament, this privilege is not available.

Preparation precedes participation. I need to focus on my scripture study more. I need to make my prayers more meaningful. They can't become things where when I finish them I wonder if I even did them. They need to make a difference in my life instead of being blind obedience. There is power in the sacrament that is hard to describe but I know that God and the Atonement are real. I know that there is a cleansing and redemptive power in the ordinance of the sacrament. I need to respect that and respect others as well and not distract them.  I need to be better.