Though the bread remains bread and the wine is but wine, the holiness of Christ makes His Supper a sacred event. He chose these elements as His memorial in the church, to represent His incarnation and crucifixion, for us and for our salvation. He is present at the Supper just as He is whenever the church gathers in His name (Matt. 18:20). We do not call the Supper a ‘sacrament’ because it automatically confers grace, but because it is the sign of our sacred bond with Christ,1 the new covenant in