Forty-five years ago this summer, man landed on the moon. What the media didn’t tell us on that historic occasion was that the first food eaten, and the first liquid poured on the moon were the communion elements of bread and wine. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin chose to commemorate the awe and wonder of the moon landing in a way he found personally meaningful—by partaking of Holy Communion.

He later wrote about the experience for Guideposts magazine saying:

“. . . Neil would give the signal to step down the ladder onto the powdery surface of the moon. Now was the moment for communion.

So I unstowed the elements in their flight packets. I put them and the scripture reading on the little table in front of the abort guidance system computer.

Then I called back to Houston. 

‘Houston, this is Eagle. This is the LM Pilot speaking. I would like to request a few moments of silence. I would like to invite each person listening in, wherever and whomever he may be, to contemplate for a moment the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his own individual way.’”

As the radio blacked out, Aldrin silently read two Bible passages that he had hand-written on a piece of paper:

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him? (Psalm 8:3,4)

And Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

He then took communion. He reflects in his memoir “. . . I could think of no better way to acknowledge the enormity of the Apollo 11 experience than by giving thanks to God.”

What would it be like to view planet Earth from the vantage point of the moon? How could one not be awestruck by the magnificence of our God?

Perhaps it would give us just a glimpse of God’s eternal perspective.

The next time you partake of communion—or sit down at a meal to eat and drink—remember with thanks that Jesus Christ paid the price with His life so that we could enjoy relationship with our Creator.

In light of eternity, life here on earth . . . time . . . what you are facing today . . . grows small.

Draw near to His presence.

For the One who is great is in you, and through Him you can do all things.

Copyright © 2014 Cheryl Elton

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