There is power in being called by name.
I grew up in a church tradition where communion was distributed as plates of pre-cut cubes of white sandwich bread and trays of individual tiny plastic cups of grape juice, passed from one to another down a row, with no interaction other than making sure the next person was ready to take hold of the plate or tray.
If you happened to be one of the people helping to serve, the pastor would probably say "the body of Christ" or "the blood of Christ", but I can't remember ever being called by name as I picked up the cube of bread or the tiny cup.
Perhaps that's why I wrote these words after I returned to my seat behind the tech desk on Sunday morning.
A moment of grace
Called by name
In gentleness
And love
"This is the body of Christ
Broken for you"
Called by name again
With compassion
And understanding
"This is the blood of Christ
Shed for you"
God's grace experienced
Being called by name
As we receive God's gift
Isaiah 43:1
But now thus says the Lord,
God who created you, O Jacob,
God who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.