[Faith-Talk] FW: [MemoriesOfDaysGoneBy] The First Meal on the Moon (Not a Joke)

[Sandra Streeter]

Sandra

 

Something is wrong, I know it, if I don't keep my attention on eternity. May I be the tiniest nail in the house of the universe, tiny but useful.

(Mary Oliver) 

 

 

From: MemoriesOfDaysGoneBy at groups.io <MemoriesOfDaysGoneBy at groups.io> On Behalf Of Alan
Sent: Saturday, July 20, 2019 5:56 PM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject: [MemoriesOfDaysGoneBy] The First Meal on the Moon (Not a Joke)

 

The First Meal on the Moon
Jerry Newcombe Jul 17, 2019 2:19 PM Townhall.com
This month marks the 50th anniversary of the landing on the moon, a major 
milestone in human history. As Neil Armstrong noted, as he stepped on the 
lunar surface, "One small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." 
Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planted the American flag on the moon, as they 
explored it for some 21 hours.
What was the first meal on the moon? It may surprise you to know that it was 
bread and wine in a one-person celebration of the Lord’s Table. As Neil 
Armstrong respectfully looked on, fellow Apollo 11 astronaut, Buzz Aldrin 
marked the incredible occasion by celebrating Holy Communion---communing 
between him and God. This was before they stepped out of the “Eagle,” the 
lunar module, to walk around on the moon.
In the October 1970 issue of Guideposts magazine, Aldrin tells of the 
experience: “For several weeks prior to the scheduled lift-off of Apollo 11 
back in July, 1969, the pastor of our church, Dean Woodruff, and I had been 
struggling to find the right symbol for the first lunar landing.”
Buzz Aldrin was an elder at Webster Presbyterian Church in the greater 
Houston area. Pastor Woodruff told him that, “God reveals Himself in the 
common elements of everyday life.” That would include bread and wine, the 
elements of the Lord’s Table, a celebration of Christ’s death on behalf of 
sinners.
The idea of communion on the moon was Aldrin’s. He writes: “I wondered if it 
might be possible to take communion on the moon, symbolizing the thought 
that God was revealing Himself there too, as man reached out into the 
universe. For there are many of us in the NASA program who do trust that 
what we are doing is part of God’s eternal plan for man. I spoke with Dean 
about the idea…and he was enthusiastic.”
They decided that while Aldrin served himself communion on the moon, his 
church back home on earth would be participating in communion at roughly the 
same time.
But, even though he was an elder, would he have permission from the church 
to serve himself the elements? Pastor Woodruff inquired of the stated clerk 
of the Presbyterian Church’s General Assembly and received a swift OK.
Apollo 11 landed on the moon on the afternoon of Sunday, July 20, 1969. 
Astronaut Mike Collins was circling at that time, in the words of Aldrin, 
“in lunar orbit, unseen in the black sky above us” in the command module, 
while Armstrong and Aldrin were in the lunar module.
On my radio show, I spoke about this little-known incident of the first meal 
on the moon with Bill Federer, historian and bestselling author. Said Bill, 
“Buzz Aldrin was such a famous astronaut that the Toy Story character was 
named after him, Buzz Lightyear.”
Bill notes, "Before they stepped [onto the moon], they had a rest time. And 
they turned to radio silence.”
Aldrin was the one who requested the radio silence, saying: "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."
Federer notes that earlier, when the Apollo 8 was in outer space at 
Christmastime 1968, the crew had read from Genesis 1, “In the beginning God 
created the heavens and the earth….” Alas, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, the famous 
atheist, sued NASA for this incident. Perhaps this lawsuit inspired the 
radio silence Aldrin requested.
In any event, Aldrin tells of his plan “to give thanks” for this incredible 
moment: “For me this meant taking communion.” That is very fitting, since 
historically, communion was called the Eucharist, derived from the Greek 
word for thanksgiving---in gratitude to Jesus for His sacrifice.
Aldrin continues, "In the radio blackout I opened the little plastic 
packages which contained bread and wine.” His church back home had given him 
a little chalice. As he poured the wine into the chalice, he notes, “In the 
one-sixth gravity of the moon the wine curled slowly and gracefully up the 
side of the cup.”
The Bible passage that Aldrin chose to read were the words of Jesus from 
John 15:5: "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and 
I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me" (TEV).
Aldrin added: "It was interesting to think that the very first liquid ever 
poured on the moon, and the first food eaten there, were communion 
elements.” As I write all this, I keep hearing the words of Paul Harvey, 
longtime radio broadcaster,
Aldrin added: "It was interesting to think that the very first liquid ever 
poured on the moon, and the first food eaten there, were communion 
elements.” As I write all this, I keep hearing the words of Paul Harvey, 
longtime radio broadcaster, “And now you know the rest of the story”
With Best Regards,
God Bless,
Alan
Plantation, Sunny South Florida 

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