DiAnna Steele

Eating His Flesh, Drinking His Blood

We are called to hunger & thirst after righteousness. I understand that True righteousness has nothing to do with us but only comes through the blood of Christ…Isaiah tells us that our righteousness is as filthy rags. Only when we are hidden in Christ is God able to see us as righteous.

My question relates to how that hunger & thirst are satisfied…in the Gospel of John Jesus commands us to eat his flesh & drink his blood. Jesus also said he is the Bread of Life & Living Water. I’ve always understood that Jesus is referring to consuming the Word of God and the Spirit of God. I guess what confuses me is that some faiths teach that during the taking of Holy Communion, the cracker/bread actually becomes the physical body of Jesus and the wine becomes His blood, as opposed to other faiths that practice communion as symbolism of his death & resurrection .

“ The quintessence of these doctrinal decisions consists in this, that in the Eucharist the Body and Blood of the God-man are truly, really, and substantially present for the nourishment of our souls, by reason of the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, and that in this change of substances the unbloody Sacrifice of the New Testament is also contained.” The Catholic Encyclopedia

“the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar in its twofold aspect of sacrament and Sacrifice of Mass, and in which Jesus Christ is truly present under the bread and wine.”

Is this a Biblical teaching? I’m interested in additional study but googling it has left me overwhelmed. The more I read, the more I’m confused and the more questions I have.

The bottom line is that I’ve always believed the elements of communion are symbols whereby Followers remember the death & celebrate the resurrection of Christ. And I’ve come to believe that when Christ talked about eating his flesh, drinking his blood he was emphasizing the importance of heeding his Word & walking in the Spirit…that these are what we are to “hunger & thirst” after. Am I way off-base? Can you share your perception of this mystery and how you arrived at it?

Be Still!!

I’m having one of those mornings where I look at my list of things “to do” and I wonder how I will get it all done…work and patients to see, kids and homework to check & sports & Scouts, company coming and meals to prepare and a house screaming to be cleaned, the concert less than two weeks away and still so much to do, meetings, mileage, reports…I’M SO OVERWHELMED!!!

It’s funny that the Lord would impress upon me that I need to take time out–especially on a day like this–and He tells me to BE STILL before Him. “Okay, Lord, You know I’m slammed but I guess I can take a few minutes to race through a prayer…would it be alright if I do it while I’m brushing my teeth though?”

“Nope. Sorry.” He says, “BE STILL” (kinda hard to do with a toothbrush stirring up foam all over my face). “And anyway, how is it that you have time to hit the snooze alarm 4 times but you don’t have time for ME?”

With a sigh, I reach for my Bible and get uncomfortable on the floor as I drop to my knees. I’m sorry, Lord. What do you want to tell me today? And here is His reply…(New English Bible, Isaiah 31) “These are the words of the Lord, the holy one of Israel, Keep peace and you will be safe; in STILLNESS and in staying quiet, there lies your strength” (vs15) and “the Lord is waiting to show you his favor, yet he yearns to have pity on you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Happy are those who wait for Him!” (vs18).

Isn’t it just like God to take our moments of frenzy and replace them with fountains of refreshing and towers of strength? At times it can be so difficult to just be still before Him. But He promises strength if we’ll do it and so we wait…and wait…and wait… I will remain quiet as I wait on Him to show me his favor. I’m not good at this stillness thing, BUT I am learning to be… In the meantime, I continue to remind myself…“Happy are those who wait for Him!”

Thoughts from a Hospice Professional

In light of the New Year I have been in a reflective mode lately. I’m not one given to resolutions and yet after three years of working with hospice patients my priorities have been forever changed…

I am haunted tonight by the voices of dying patients with “if only” falling in gasps of brokenness from their lips, the remnants of shattered relationships breaking their already wounded hearts. It is in my profound grief for them and others like them who will surely follow, that I am recommitted to this conviction: I will never find myself in that same position. Yes, I will die. But not with regrets. I will live my life fully and on purpose. Each new day God gifts to me will be humbly greeted in gratitude to my Creator. I pledge anew to wholly express His goodness to me, never hesitating to share that goodness when opportunity whispers it’s name or shouts into my soul…I will extend the hand of God…I will love with abandon…I will hold loosely those treasures He bestows…”