Soon we’ll hear the familiar words, “Do this. Do this to remember me.”

Do what? What are we all supposed to be doing here? Many of you do not come forward for communion or a blessing. So there must be something beyond bread and wine that Jesus is talking about?

In an effort to make sure everyone here has a chance to do something, I asked a few Jewish students what they would think about me putting out some prayers from the Jewish prayer book – to give some boys who do not come forward for this decidedly Christian ritual, well give them something to do.

Here’s what a couple of wise Form 2 (Eighth grade) boys said: “Well you could do that. I mean, I bet someone would really appreciate it if you made prayers from other traditions available. (They were so polite!) “But for me,” one boy said, “if you are looking for a way to honor and recognize the different traditions here – maybe you could just say that sitting in the pews during communion isn’t doing nothing. I sit in the pews and I listen to Mr. Hutto play beautiful music. I love communion services – they are the only quiet time I have.”
Maybe you could say that sitting in the pews during communion isn’t doing nothing.

There. I said it, “Do this” is more vast than receiving the bread and cup. Do this is us being all together in one place and noticing that we are. Do this – pause to be grateful or even pause to be sad and recognize that you are not sad alone – that there are people in this chapel who care a about you.

What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax. Don't worry about missing out. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (from Matthew 6:31-34)
If you ever feel freedom, gratitude, joy or peace by enjoying this stillness here, the music, the feast or each other, well, then, you’re in communion with God. How do I know? Because in that moment, you are “giving your entire attention to what God is doing right now.”

And that is definitely not doing nothing.

Lum is the Lower School chaplain at St. Albans School.