funny story

this story is much funnier when you hear it in person, but alas... for all of those who can't see us in person right now, i can't bear for you to miss out on this laugh. like i said, yesterday we visited an anglican church, which is different from the good old baptist church we've been at for quite a while. one of the differences is in the way we partake in the Lord's supper. at the baptist church, you know, we have those nifty little trays that have the holes in them that hold those tiny cups of non-fermented wine (aka grape juice)...which the deacons pass around to the church. and then, we have little pieces of unleavened bread that are passed around before the juice. well, at the anglican church, each person goes up and receives the bread and then can either dip it in the wine or have the bread first, then the wine. well, ryan and i aren't really used to partaking in that way (though, i might say, i really enjoyed it...it felt more meaningful and personal in some ways), so we were watching those who went before us. while i held on to the bread that i was given and dipped it into the wine, ryan couldn't quite decide what he wanted to do...he put the bread into his mouth before he could stop himself, and then realized that most of the people in front of him (in his line) were dipping...so, he quickly put his hand up to his mouth and spit out his bread. at that point, he realized what he was doing and put the bread back into his mouth and then drank from the cup when he got there. quite funny, though...we had a good laugh about it! but seriously, it might have been the most moving communion experience of my life. when i got to the pastor and put my hands out (there's even significance in that...putting my hands in front of me to receive what has been given to me-physically, the bread; symbolically, the broken body of Christ), the pastor said, "Samantha, Jesus' body broken for you." for me....and then as i dipped it into the wine, i was reminded of the grace given to me. there just aren't really words to describe the experience, but it was a beautiful, beautiful thing!