Wine of free pardon

Went to the candlelight service at the church up the road from us.  Once again it is a beautiful summer night here in Wellington; warm, a bit cloudy and a gentle breeze.  The service, much as you may expect, was a mixture christmas carols, scripture reading about a babe in the manger, sermon all this accompanied by posture changes, standing, kneeling, sitting. What stood out this year was communion, I don't remember if they served communition last year, but this year it stood out as the high point of the service.

Communion service was in the high church tradition.  Come up to the front and they give you a wafter and a challace.   I think I was the only non-regular there tonight, so I was paying quite close attention to the custom up front.  When the eucarist was offered I put out my hands and looked her in the eye and said 'hand or mouth wherever you would prefer.'  She put it in my mouth (probably to shut me up.)  A minute later the wine came, in a silver challace, presented to me with the words 'the blood of Christ for the forgivness of sins.'

The only thing I could say was 'WOW.' 

What prompted that 'wow' was not the challace.  It was the thought of forgiveness of sins through this wine.  The wine of free pardon for me and everyone.  I drank that wine deeply, probably a bit too deeply for her, thinking of that forgiveness.  It truly moved me at the time.

May you drink freely of the wine of free pardon this Christmas day.