Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Sacred Meal

I found this book to be very disturbing. Author Nora Gallagher had been asked to write a book about communion – the sacred meal- as a part of Thomas Nelson’s Ancient Practices Series. I was eager to read this book as Communion is such an important part of our life as believers, and it’s so easy to fall into the routine of taking communion, while neglecting to reflect on the significance of it.


I expected this book to look to the Scriptures to see what God has said about the practice that He ordained. Sadly, this book is page after page of the author’s thoughts and feelings, both about communion and a myriad of unrelated things that really have no bearing on communion whatsoever. There is very little Scripture used, and when it is its misapplied or misrepresented.

Here is one example is found on pages 23-24. Gallagher is discussing the last supper and Christ’s words to the disciples, “Do this in remembrance of Me.”

She says,
“Instead, I think Jesus wanted his disciples and everyone who came after him to remember what they had together. What they made together. What it meant to be together. How the things he wanted them to do could not be done alone. How the things he did could not have been done without them.”(page 24 - emphasis hers)

Clearly, there are many things wrong with just this one paragraph. For one, there is NOTHING that He could not have done without them. He was God incarnate. They were lowly men. But my point in using this paragraph as an example is to show how the author completely ignores what Scripture says about Communion. The Scriptures tell us what we are to be remembering, His death until He comes (1Cor 11:23-26). Not what they did together.

It really doesn’t matter what we think or how we feel about communion; all that really matters is what God has said about it in His Word.

I received a complimentary review copy of the book from Thomas Nelson, but that in no way influenced my opinion of it.

3 comments:

  1. Thank you for your review on this book. The book I had requested is on back order so I came to BS looking for another. I don't want to read a book that I can't find something good about and twisting Scripture is a no-no in my book.

    God bless,
    Sarah

    P.S. I'm following you via GFC
    www.homeschoolblogger.com/ohiosarah

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  2. if you really would like to know the significance of this Sacred Meal, you can check out this website: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a3.htm

    God bless.

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  3. Thank you for your review. I have this book coming from BookSneeze as well. While I've been waiting for its delayed arrival, I've begun looking at some reviews.

    I too have been very excited to read this installment to the Ancient Practices Series. Unfortunately, judging from many of the reviews I've read, it's going to be either a drudging work or (more likely) a skim.

    Again, thanks for your insight.

    Eric
    http://ericwoodpsalm1.blogspot.com/

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