By Joab Cano
What is the Lord’s supper? According to the scriptures, the Lord’s supper is the participation of the bread and the wine to commemorate the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Luke narrates when Jesus sat at the table with his 12 apostles, after celebrating the Passover, there was a moment where he instituted this commandment and ordered to do this in remembrance of him in Luke 22:19. Later, the apostle Paul writes that the Lord’s supper is also a proclamation of the Lord’s death until he returns from the heavens in 1 Corinthians 11:26. When one reads the scriptures, one can find several verses that testify that the early church participated in this commemoration. However, we cannot find details of how often or how many times this commandment took place in those early years.
The Light of the World Church recently participated of this commandment in all 60 nations where the church is currently present. The members were invited by the apostle Naasón Joaquín García to consecrate and prepare spiritually since July 1, 2021, in order to participate of the commandment of the lord. According to the doctrine, all participants must examine themselves and discern the body of Christ in order to participate correctly of the commandment in 1 Corinthians 11:27-34. Therefore, members were encouraged to seek God in a 40-day period through constant prayer, fasting, reading of scripture and many other ways of consecration.
During the Holy Convocation 2021, which was held from August 12-14, TLOTW members gathered at their local temples in one spirit to hear the word of God and to meditate in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Due to the pandemic, members followed all local guidelines by using face masks, applying social distancing, checking temperatures at every prayer and implementing many other precautions. Also, many families gathered at their homes where local guidelines have asked the community to not gather as a precaution. This was the second year in a row that TLOTW did not hold a large gathering as it usually would prior to the pandemic. In this manner, TLOTW continues to support the community and does its part in helping to overcome the current pandemic.
The main event, The Holy Supper, took place on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. All local congregations and many homes connected via online for live coverage of a special service for this occasion. The majority of members did not physically attend the event as in other years, but they all joined spiritually of the participation of the bread and the wine in several locations which included the following: Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Tijuana, Guadalajara, Chiapas, Colombia and a few others. In these places mentioned, members physically participated of the bread and wine in representation of all the members worldwide. Following all local guidelines, over 5 million members worldwide gathered to commemorate the sacrifice, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Members gathered to fulfill this commandment established by Christ and to renew their commitment of following the example of Christ in their day to day life. Furthermore, during the special service, members meditated on the life of Jesus through hymns which referenced the moments of suffering that he endured. Then, the moment of the consecration of the bread and wine arrived as millions watched with solemnity and respect. Finally, the event concluded with the participation of the Lord’s supper.
In conclusion, TLOTW demonstrated the growth that it continues to have all over the globe. The growth it has had can be easily seen as it celebrated its Holy Supper in new temples around the world, like the ones in Chicago or New Jersey. Also, this event showed unity among its members who come from all sorts of backgrounds, nationalities and speak different languages. Through this event, it is evident that peace and harmony is possible amongst all nations. Furthermore, TLOTW continues to announce the gospel of Jesus Christ and proclaim that Christ lives and reigns in heaven. Even under the current circumstances that we live in, the Church of Christ continues to fulfill its mission: to announce the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people without any discrimination.
• Joab Cano is a missionary for the Light of the World Church. “Living & Growing” is a weekly column written by different authors and submitted by local clergy and spiritual leaders. It appears every Friday on the Juneau Empire’s Faith page.
