For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (I Corinthians 11:23-26)

Election Day Communion is a national movement of Christians who want to declare our allegiance to Christ over and above our allegiance to a particular political party–or even a particular nation. When I last checked the Election Day Communion website, there were 835 groups who had signed up as participants in this event.

That means that on election night, there will be tens of thousands of Christians gathering together around the Lord’s Table. Tens of thousands of Christians who will share the bread and the cup as brothers and sisters–despite political differences. Tens of thousands of voices raised to heaven praying, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.”

There will be tens of thousands of Christians across the country remembering together, entering together into the story of what happened with Jesus and his disciples on the night that Jesus was betrayed.

This is the story we are choosing–the story we tell at the Lord’s Table.

For months now politicians, unions, corporations, Facebook friends, have been trying to get us to participate in their stories. So many different stories; all wanting our buy-in–our agreement, our money, our vote.

Stories of a successfully recovering economy and stories of failed economic policies.

Stories of family values and stories of civil rights.

Stories of the war on women and stories of the evils of abortion.

Stories of care for the vulnerable and stories of entitlement programs.

Stories of environmental responsibility and stories of the need for job creation.

We’ve heard so many stories. And we hear them all in the context of our own unique life stories. The stories we live affect the stories we believe. And my guess is that, if you vote, the stories you believe play a big role in who you vote for.

It is fine to go to the voting booth. But it is more important to come to the Table. Our presence at the Table bears witness to the fact that whatever social, political, moral, economic stories we might believe, this is the central story for our lives. This is the Story by which all other stories are measured. This story of God’s deep love for us in creation, in covenant, and ultimately, in Jesus Christ.  This story that proclaims Good News, freedom, healing. This story that proclaims a love stronger than hate, a life bigger than ourselves, a power stronger than death.

It is this story of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ that claims our allegiance. Now and always. Amen.