11. How should we prepare spiritually to celebrate the Lord’s Supper?

Our model for spiritual preparation can be found in the practice of the Jewish families preparing to celebrate Passover. Since leaven represented sin, they were to remove all leavening agents from their homes. In the same way, believers must confess and repent of all sin—including pride, rivalry, jealousy, resentful feelings, and selfishness—before they can have a healthy spiritual attitude to commune with Christ at this deepest level. JTL26 13.1

Paul points out certain individuals in the Corinthian church who showed a lack of compassion for the poorer among them. By this failure to care for those who had least, they dishonored their Lord (1 Corinthians 11:20, 22). In contrast, when believers ask God for a new heart and follow through on the impressions the Spirit gives to achieve true communion with Christ and one another, the benefits include a sweet spirit of unity, joy, peace, and a sense of oneness. JTL26 13.2

When we consider the depth of Christ’s love for us and the new covenant that guarantees fellowship with Him, the Lord’s Supper becomes a celebration of joy, not of mourning or sadness. JTL26 13.3