MURAL OF THE LORD'S SUPPER AND CROSSES

 

This Lord’s Supper Mural is given to the glory of God in loving memory of Charles C. Reading and Charles I. Reading.

There is an ancient proverb that shares the insight “A picture tells a thousand words.” The beauty of this Lord’s Supper Mural is that it tells the story of salvation in a way that is beyond the power of words to express. Truth is conveyed not only by wisdom and intellect, but by the heart expressed in art.

 

The sacraments have been called “sermons in action.” A famous layperson once said: “I would rather see a sermon than just hear one.” The Lord’s Supper is at the heart of our Christian faith. Here we see the love of God in action.

 

This Lord’s Supper Mural depicting Jesus Christ our Lord and the twelve disciples tells the grand story of salvation and the divine—human encounter in a very dramatic way. The cross tells the marvelous message of God’s love entering the human struggle to liberate us from the paralyzing powers of sin and death.

 

It should be noted that our Lord gathered his disciples at a TABLE rather than an altar. The table is a place where the warmth of friendship and the bond of true intimacy with the host can take place. JESUS IS ALWAYS THE HOST, as the large Christ cross demonstrates in a vivid way.

 

The LARGE CHRIST CROSS is a vivid reminder that Jesus Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. The cross is the only authentic sign of love in our fallen world. The cross is a powerful reminder of how far humanity will go in hate. However, it represents how far Christ will go to demonstrate his love for us.

 

The other TWELVE CROSSES demonstrate how the message of the cross lives on in the lives of the twelve disciples and the cultures they impacted with the gospel. The story continues on. It cannot be stopped. The message continues to call people of every age, race, class, gender, and color to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

 

The LORD’S SUPPER TABLE reminds us that God continues to invite us to commune with him and to develop an intimate relationship with him through the Lord’s Supper. It further reminds us that we are a community of faith where all worldly distinctions face and we are a true family of believers.

 

The BREAD AND CHALICE represent the ongoing nourishment and nurture that God provides for those who love and serve him and the strength and courage needed to follow the example of Christ.

 

The SPOTLIGHTS remind us that Jesus Christ is the true light of the world and that we should at all times keep our focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. The one true light has entered human history and the powers of darkness are unable to extinguish the light.

 

The MONEYBAG reminds us of the tragic consequences of listening to anything except God’s word and will. Only God can meet the deepest needs and longings of the human spirit.

 

However, all the crosses together remind us that there is more grace in God than sin in us. God is faithful to his covenant that he established and sealed with his own death and shed blood. There is no sin he cannot forgive and no person he will ever cast out. This is the good news of the gospel that God has called us to share and proclaim each day until he comes again.

 

May all who view this Lord’s Supper Mural be renewed by the good news of the gospel that all of human life can be released from the bondage of sin and death and then be refreshed by the living bread and the cup of salvation.

 

May the words of Charles Wesley inspire us each time we commune at a Lord's Supper observance:

 

How happy are Thy servants Lord,

Who thus remember Thee!

What tongue can tell our sweet accord,

Our perfect harmony?

 

Who Thy mysterious Supper share,

Here at Thy Table fed,

Many, and yet but one we are,

One undivided Bread.

 

One with the Living Bread Divine,

Which now by faith we eat;

Our hearts, and minds, and spirits join,

And all in Jesus meet.

 

So dear the tie where souls agree

In Jesu's dying love;

Then only can it closer be,

When all are join'd above. Amen.

 

 

 

To learn more about the crosses depicted in the mural, click here to view a Legend for the Lord's Supper Mural and Crosses.