dear ShadesofGrey...
here are some things to ponder in regard to your last post on this thread.
the reasons I don't think that taking the elements is something that can be done or not according to whim are:
the bible tells us that Jesus has two natures. one fully human with a human will.(Son of Man) one fully God (Son of God)...(calling this latter essence "divinity" doesn't express the fullness of this nature [being self existant Spirit ]).....hebrews 9:14-15 expresses this thought
the bible also tells us that though we can be walking around we ARE dead in our tresspasses and sins...eph 2:1 (like our human parents adam and eve) gen.3:3
the bible also tells us that the Spirit makes us alive to God...(otherwise our spirit is dead to God; see above scriptures)...and we ARE a new creation (like our Father, Jesus)...again, hebrews 9:14-15 expresses this thought
Jesus says that most assuredly we must eat His flesh and drink His blood in order to facilitate a resurrection of the body...(it is these tangible elements that we take in that causes us to remain in Him(body) and He remains in us(body)...communion of the saints...when we continue to do this we remain in communion with Him and because we do this with others we remain in communion with the body...His body...(note: because of these things it is not a dead carcass that we gather together around to eat, as AGuest asserts)
you will notice that Jesus said he who comes to Me shall never HUNGER(A) and he who believes in Me shall never THIRST (B). ...doing something is an act of the human will....believeing something is an act of the human spirit. In excercising faith in these TWO realms both physical and spiritual...one is IN complete union with the fullness of who Jesus is... john 6:35-39
(I think that because Jesus was so emphatic; repeating Himself again and again to make His point in this one gospel and that it IS a command directly FROM Him makes it clear that it was a very important article of "the faith" and that this ceremonial observance may have been SO OBVIOUS to the early church that those later disciples who decided on the canon didn't feel the need to include 4 different witnesses to it's validity)
love michelle