Rigney’s objective was “to make myself feel the weight of my sin and the horror of the cross.” While focusing on his personal failings, his approach was missing “a strong sense of awe, wonder, joy, Godwardness, and gratitude. In my zeal for gravity, I had forgotten gladness.”
Piper points to the hardship and the joy of the Lord’s Supper which “is a participation in Christ.” Communion represents a shared meal, where Christ is the head of the table. Koinónia means, “What is shared in common as the basis of fellowship”.
The body of Christ comes together at this meal, with a common goal: to worship Jesus, whose blood was spilled and whose body was broken for the sins of the world.
“Spiritually, [...] we feed upon him by faith and are nourished and satisfied in our souls. No unbeliever can do this. And that’s the meaning of the moment. It’s not designed that they should” (Piper). This is a mysterious event, simultaneously sad and joyful.
We are joined with Christ as children and friends but also fellow sufferers, following Jesus, the one who went before us to Calvary. “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:16–17).
We will never know the full cost of our sin because He took our place, willingly, lovingly, and joyfully. How can we approach communion with anything other than awe?
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