The Sermon Story

On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took a cup and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" ( Luke 22:20 ). Every time Christians share communion, they hold up a cup that tells a story about what kind of God we worship. This story about communion, retold in our own words, sets two real ancient vessels side by side. Both are masterpieces of metalwork. They could hardly say more different things about God. It ends with a takeaway you can use before sharing the Lord's Supper or in your own reflection. Story in this post: Two Cups: The Gundestrup Cauldron and the Ardagh Chalice ──────── ✝ ──────── Two Cups: The Gundestrup Cauldron and the Ardagh Chalice Two great silver vessels have survived from the ancient world of northern Europe, both recovered from bogs and fields, and both now treasured by museums. In his book How the Irish Saved Civilization , the historian Thomas Cahill uses them to tell a story about the difference the gospel mak...