The sacraments of the church are a declaration of the joining of the spiritual and physical. The physicality of the Lord’s Supper declares Christ’s presence in the bread and wine. “And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22:19-20 ESV). It is much more than symbol; it is the joining of the spiritual and physical. The statements, “This is my body…this is my blood” the church takes seriously. “In remembrance” does not mean symbol, but it means “in reenactment” just as Israel reenacted the Passover with each annual celebration. In baptism we are born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5). Baptism is much more than a symbol; the Spirit of God who was active in the physical waters of Genesis, creating, is active in the physical waters of baptism to make us new creations by the same Spirit. There is Someone in the bread; there is Someone in the water. That Someone is the Bread of Life and the Water of Life.
