Metro Spring Meeting
Celebration of Communion

"Let us sing praise to God and live in love and friendship toward the human family; through Jesus Christ. Amen."

With these words we began our celebration of communion in the sun-filled sanctuary of St. Albans Congregational Church, UCC. We lifted our voices in hymns and rejoiced in the musical gifts of St. Albans ' Voices of Victory Choir and instrumentalists.

Henry T. Simmons, pastor of St. Albans , began his meditation by reminding us "This is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ gave his life for us."

Henry shared with us a recent visit with his five-year-old grandson, Chris. It was Chris' birthday. Chris and his ten to fifteen friends were in the basement. Henry started down the stairs to say hello. One of Chris' friend said, "Somebody's coming!" Chris quickly responded, "That's nobody; that's my grandfather."

Chris was not defining his grandfather by his education, his ethnicity, his stature in the community. Chris was focusing purely on his relationship with his grandfather.

"We are who we are because of a relationship," Henry said. "We know what love is - not because of what God TOLD us, but because of what God SHOWED us."

Henry urged us to show radical hospitality to all. To symbolize this he asked that each of us turn to a person next to us and say, "I am pleased to meet you!"

Our offering on April 29 was given to the Metro Association Theological Fund, a fund which provides financial help to those studying for the ministry.

Those who shared their stories of "We Are the UCC" were those gave us the Bread and the Cup in our celebration of Holy Communion.

Reported by Lucy Werner