What are we grateful for in life? How do we show that gratitude to others in life? Is our gratitude Internal or is it an external showing of good energy in our relationships to others we meet in our days?

 

91:8:4[#3] Urantia Book

To some individuals prayer is the calm expression of gratitude; to others, a group expression of praise, social devotions; sometimes it is the imitation of another's religion, while in true praying it is the sincere and trusting communication of the spiritual nature of the creature with the anywhere presence of the spirit of the Creator.

 

THE REMEMBRANCE SUPPER

"DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME"

March 19, 2017

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“When Jesus had thus established the supper of the remembrance, he said to the apostles: ‘And as often as you do this, do it in remembrance of me. ... This is the new Passover which I leave with you, even the memory of my bestowal life, the word of eternal truth; and of my love for you, the outpouring of my Spirit of Truth upon all flesh.’”

– UB 179:5.9

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     It was a solemn night, on April 6, 30 A.D., when Jesus arranged for a special supper with his twelve apostles. He knew he would be arrested later that evening and eventually be put to death, and so he wanted to prepare them and strengthen them for those events.  He established the first Remembrance Supper as a means to remind them of the life he lived, his teachings of love, and the blessings he shared and would be sharing in the future.  He wanted them to remember his life, not his upcoming death.

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     This Supper is the only ceremony or sacrament associated with his whole life mission and the only event he expressly asked that we memorialize. For this reason, the Remembrance Supper should be paramount in the minds of all those who love our Sovereign Christ Michael, who incarnated as Jesus of Nazareth.

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    On April 6, 2017, after sundown, faith sons around the world will meet together in private homes and elsewhere for the annual commemoration of the Remembrance Supper.  We invite all, including all Urantia Book readers, to share in this night with us by commemorating the evening in small private groups with family and friends. This is a night for all mankind because all of us owe our existence and future life to Michael as the Creator of everything in our universe. As he explained, he is ‘the way, the truth and the life.’ If we expect to reach the Father on Paradise, we must first come through Jesus.

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     The Remembrance Supper is a very simple unpretentious supper as described in Paper 179, chapter 5 of The Urantia Book.  It involves a sharing of bread and drink among men and women of faith as they remember Jesus Christ, the exemplary life he led, and his glorious message of freedom and salvation.  The bread symbolizes ‘the bread of life’ – the life of the Father revealed in the Son, the living word of truth incarnated in mortal flesh. The cup of wine symbolizes the new dispensation ushered in by the outpouring of the Spirit of Truth. 

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     Because the first Remembrance Supper occurred in connection with the Jewish Passover, the bread was unleavened bread and the drink was red wine.  But these emblems are merely symbols. What is important is the meaning of the symbols, not the symbols themselves.  So, if unleavened bread is not readily available, another sort of bread may be used.  And if red wine is not available, another drink may be used, especially if those participating with you, including any children, would want to refrain from alcoholic beverages.

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      When planning your commemorations, we suggest you read Papers 179-181 to see how Jesus and the twelve apostles commemorated that night.  You may find that many more things occurred on that night than you may realize. Some of Jesus’ most profound and enduring teachings were expressed that night.  You might also enjoy watching the videos we prepared on those papers, The Remembrance Supper Special Edition Videos, in preparation for the Supper.

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     At a certain point in the evening, Jesus passed the bread and wine and commented on their significance.  You can do the same at your Remembrance Supper.  But rather than give you a formula for conducting your Supper, we encourage you to use your imaginations and let the spirit lead you in this regard. There are no formalities other than the sharing of the food and drink. 

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     It was also an occasion to discuss spiritual things, including brotherly love and unity.  In the first Remembrance Supper, Jesus washed the feet of his apostles as an object lesson in humility. It was the custom in those days for the servant of the host to wash the feet of the guests as they arrived.  Pitchers of water, basins and towels were placed just inside the door for that purpose.

      But on this occasion, there was no servant, so when the apostles arrived there was no one to wash their feet.  Any of the apostles could have taken on that role, but not one of them did. Instead, they proceeded to the dinner table and took their seats, subtly vying for the honored positions next to where Jesus would sit.  Jesus did not chastise them for their lack of humility. He simply demonstrated what real humility is by enacting ‘the parable of brotherly love’ – washing the feet of his apostles.

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     During our Remembrance Suppers, we should approach the evening with the same type of humility for our brothers and sisters in attendance.  Not that we must wash each other’s feet, but we should be mindful of the needs of all those in attendance and look for ways to be of service to one another.  And after we share in this intimate supper, perhaps we can carry that humility out of our homes and into our daily affairs.  By faith we enter into the spiritual brotherhood, but we remain in it by the way we treat ‘the least ones’ of our brothers.

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      The Remembrance Supper is also an opportunity to publicly and openly confess our union with Jesus. Unfortunately, some UB readers have not reconciled in their minds the need to honor Jesus and carry on his ministry.  In fact, a few shy away from any associations with the ‘Biblical Jesus’ for fear that they are subjecting themselves to outdated and authoritative religious ideas.  Yet, they should realize that by including the life and teachings of Jesus in the Fifth Epochal Revelation, the revelators are emphasizing, not diminishing, the need to understand Jesus and to complete the ministry he began. Paper 195, chapters 9 and 10 expressly state as much.

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      And then, there is this:

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“All of you who have had the courage to confess faith in my gospel before men I will presently acknowledge before the angels of heaven; but he who shall knowingly deny the truth of my teachings before men shall be denied by his guardian of destiny even before the angels of heaven.”

- UB 165:3.5

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     Thus, participating in a Remembrance Supper reveals our stand, not only to men, but to your Guardian Seraphim who joyfully represents you at your resurrection.

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     For these reasons, we encourage all to spend the evening in solemn contemplation.  It is our wish that one day, our entire planet will give worshipful honor to the Christ and recognize our oneness as a spiritual family, children of God and brothers to each other.  Imagine the rejoicing that will occur in heaven by the celestial family looking on at our faithfulness!  And by so doing we can quicken the establishment of a worldwide brotherhood that will open the door to a divine visitation.

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     After the Remembrance Supper, please share with us your experience of commemorating this special occasion.  We would like to know how you celebrated, what you talked about, how many attended and participated, where you are located on this beautiful planet, anything you are willing to share. We will set aside a section on our site where we will publish all such comments.

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      It is our prayer that more and more of mankind come to appreciate their wonderful Creator and Sovereign and the value of his teachings so that he will unquestionably know that his life and his death on earth, as well as his decision to provide a greater revelation, was not in vain. And as we ‘do this in remembrance of him,’ he will know that we heard him, that we believe him, that we honor him and look forward to supping with him in the heavenly kingdom.

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Your Brothers in the Master's Ministry,

www.TheChristExperiment.org

  Return to The Remembrance Supper 

Concerning the times of the coming again of the Son of Man, no one in heaven or on earth may presume to speak. But you should be wise regarding the ripening of an age; you should be alert to discern the signs of the times. You know when the fig tree shows its tender branches and puts forth its leaves that summer is near. Likewise, when the world has passed through the long winter of material-mindedness and you discern the coming of the spiritual springtime of a new dispensation, should you know that the summertime of a new visitation draws near.

105:1.6 (1153.3) Urantia Book