Auntie's 2016 Bookworm Challenge 12

Book: The Lord's Table

Author: Andrew Murray

Info:  Copyright 2015:  New York:  Scriptura Press (Originally published in 1897).

Where acquired: Amazon download.

Rating (on a scale of 1-4 hashtags): # # # #

What it's about: Andrew Murray takes the reader on a spiritual odyssey of the Eucharist--the observation of the Lord's Supper.  Using scripture passages and prayers, he attempts to take Communion from mere ritualistic sacrament to a sacred renewal of spirit.  The odyssey begins the week before partaking, goes through passages and prayers referring to each element, and ends the week after partaking.

Favorite Quotes:

"The problem of self-examination is simple. According to the apostle, there are but two conditions, either Jesus Christ is in you, or ye are reprobate: one of two. There is no third condition. The life of Christ in you may still be weak; but if you are truly born again and a child of God, Christ is in you. And then as a child you have access to the table of the Father and a share in the children's bread."- Location 187.

"Christian, prepare yourself for the Holy Supper by thinking of your sins. Be not afraid to make mention of them by name before Jesus. Point out to Him that which you desire He should change in you. Sin which is not confessed is also not combated. When a saved soul goes to Jesus to speak with Him about sin, and to make it known to Him, it breaks sins power and makes Him more precious. The very same light that enables you to feel the curse of sin more deeply, enables you also to discern the perfect and final victory over it. The experience, utterly lost, prepares the way for the experience utterly redeemed."  Location 246. 

"God is too little honored by His people.  A joyful, thankful Christian shows that God can make those that serve Him truly happy.  He stirs up others to praise God along with him." - Location 624.

"It was to bring to us this heavenly life that the Son of God descended to earth.  It was to make this life accessible to us that He died like the seed corn in the earth, that HIS body was broken like the bread grain.  It is to communicate this life to us and to make it our own, that He gives Himself to us in the Supper." - Location 697.

"Food involves quickening and joy.  Eating is not only necessary as medicine for strength, but is also in itself something that is acceptable, and imparts pleasure.  To observe a feast in the spirit of itself equivalent to food.  Obedience to the will of God was Jesus' highest joy." - Location 760.

What I Liked:

• Murray himself says this his volume is not a replacement for Scripture, but a study guide to the particular subject of Holy Communion.  He guides you to the Bible, not away from it to his own words.
• The prayers that accompany the devotional passages are not only poetic, but deep in substance.  They truly take the believer to a place of fellowship with God when prayed sincerely and purposefully.
• I wanted to time reading this book with when my church observed the Lord's Supper.  However, the book can be used for personal communion.
• This book is for any Christian of any denomination.  The author doesn't go into specific ceremony, but lays out the deeper meaning of the sacrament.

What I didn’t like: 

• Years ago, I had purchased a print version of this volume.  However, it was so riddled with typographical and punctuation errors and incorrect scripture references that I got frustrated and ditched it.  I decided to try again this year and found a free PDF version.  Again, no editor took time to correct these errors.  But, I figured, it was free, so I expected too much.  So I paid for the Kindle version.  I was disappointed to see that this version also contained the same errors.  I wish the publishers understood that correcting those errors does not diminish the text or message at all.  In fact, having a corrected copy would enhance it. 
• The Kindle version doesn't have real page numbers.  It really looks like the publisher simply slapped this volume together. So, any negatives are not with the content of the book, but how it was formatted and presented.  Just because it's Christian doesn't mean that it should be mediocre.  In fact, more care should have been taken in preparing it.

Takeaway:  I'd recommend this book to anyone who desires a deeper walk with the Lord and wants to take his participation in communion to a higher spiritual level.  I most likely won't read it every time I take communion, but I would like to go through the devotional at least once a year.