What happened in Otterbein UMC of Spry, Pa.? Communion-Centric Worship Gives Birth to Purpose

The following article is a terrific story that confirms the ministry, message and mission of CommunionFire as we have come to experience it. 

John Wesley's Sermon 101 is "On Constant Communion". He says, "Believers should partake of Commuunion at least 4 times per week and if possible every day!" He also says that those who come for worship and neglect having Communion/The Eucharist shouuld be excommunicated from the Church for their actions preach the wrong reason for worship. Preacher Wesley would be pleased to see the direction of Otterbein in a day when Holy Communion has become less than holy and is sorely neglected or even forgotten in a time when musicians and pulpit have replaced "The Table of The Lord" by most non-catholic churches. 

See how weekly Communion ignited a fire that caught fire in Spry, Pa. Then consider what the 650 Million non-catholic churches, home groups and personal stories miight look like if we listened to the Weslyan message... oh yes and Jesus! Who both said, as often as you do this... Wesley said about this, "often means often not once in a while". 

If you were around with John aand Charles Wesley would you have been excommnicated for your neglect of the reason for true worshipers to gather? f your worship is not Communion-Centric, then what/who is at the center of your worship? Personally and house to house? on Sunday? On the mission field? 

Commnion is about fire! Our God is a consuming fire... He absorbs you in His embrace and loves you until you are totally free to receive His grace, hope and love.

Jesus said, "If you eat my flesh and drink My blood you will:

5 Reasons Jesus says to dine at His Table on the real food: 
(The real bread of - His glorified and eternal flesh and the real drink of - the wine of His glorified and eternal blood!) See John 6

Have My life in you
   Have eternal life and
      I will raise you up on the last day
         You will abide in Me and
            I will abide in you!

Jesus also said, "If you don't eat My flesh and drink My blood you have no life in you!"

You may 'be saved, baptized, read the bible, pray and go to church' and have eternal life... but Jesus died for you so that He could create a way to start sharing His Love and Life with you in a very real and simple way, Right Now! Communion is that way, truth and life... Communion is Jesus and He wants you to dine upon Him and his real presence through His Body and Blood... its just that exciting...

The Choice is up to you: #BeBoldBelieve and Partake of everything He has prepared for you - one morsal and one sip at a time

or Doubt Him and walk away...

Again imagine what the Lord might look like if we would just respond to his invitation to "Come to Him... and let Him lead us to His Table!" The whole earth would be filled with ALLELUIAS!

​Wesleyan Leadership
Faith working through love
​
"The Bread of Life" 
Posted on August 30, 2013 

The Bread of Life Otterbein United Methodist Church of Spry is near York, Pennsylvania. Average worship attendance in 2010 was 95. Average worship attendance in 2013 is 165. How did this happen?

A small group of members meet weekly for Bible Study on Wednesday night. Their current pastor, The Rev. Dr. Ken Loyer, arrived in 2010. They welcomed his suggestion of adding a brief (25 minutes) prayer service before the Bible study time.

As Advent drew near Dr. Loyer suggested
they add Holy Communion to the Wednesday evening prayer service.

The regular Wednesday night attenders liked the weekly sacrament so much that they didn’t want to give it up.

The weekly 25 minute mid-week prayer and Holy Communion service has become an important part of the congregation’s life.

Dr. Loyer says, “The service has been key to God’s work of bringing new life to this church. While in some ways it’s difficult to quantify the precise effect, I know that it has been used by God and that God has answered our weekly prayers for renewal and more fruitful ministry for this church to the community.”

Gathering at the Lord’s table every Wednesday night has led members to serve Christ among hungry people in the community (see Matthew 25:35).

Dr. Loyer told me, “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that two of the people who regularly attend this service approached me after several months and shared their sense that, following Christ’s calling to serve, our church should increase our efforts in feeding the hungry of our community. Out of those conversations emerged a new food ministry that supplements our weekly food bank and monthly food program. This new ministry now has us sending out teams from the church, with food prepared at the church, to downtown York, once a quarter, to serve those in need.”

A simple 25-minute prayer & Communion service is helping members of Otterbein United Methodist Church of Spry see...

what God is up to in their neighborhood. The Holy Spirit is equipping them to participate in God’s mission where they live.  

The Bread of Life Posted in Discipleship, Means of grace, Wesleyan leadership

Note: SERMON 101 by John Wesley The Duty of Constant CommunionBy John WesleySermon 101(Text from the 1872 Edition)