The Table before us is set by God Himself. He invites us to it, and as we sit down with Him (in the person of the Lord Jesus), He deals with us. We cannot prevent this, we cannot manipulate it, and we cannot turn it to our own ends.
This Table means what God says it means. It does not mean what various traditions of men declare. It is what it is, and does what it does, regardless of what men think of it. We do not make it go.
When it comes to physical food, the various theories of nutrition and diet abound, and it appears that there is a new one arriving daily. And yet, from the beginning of the world, food does what it does, apart from any theory of nutrition in the head of the one who eats. What happens in the head is frequently of man. What happens in the stomach is of God.
It is similar here. We may contrive to think certain things so that the bread and wine will not do what God declares they will do. But what we think is ultimately irrelevant. If we are keeping covenant with God, by faith alone, then this means of grace will be used to help correct false notions. But if the false notions are devices of ours, calculated to manipulate the Supper, we will find that such covenant-breaking is chastised by the Lord Himself.
Therefore, when we come to this Supper, we are objectively submitting. God is God. God will have His way. God rules. Christ is the Lord of the covenant, and He determines what happens to His covenant people. He is the Lord. He is the shepherd. We are the sheep of His hand.
As you partake of the bread and wine, do so in evangelical faith, looking around the room in gladness and gratitude of heart. He is the Lord. We are not the Lord. We are the body of the Lord.
So come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.
It is possible that a post like this may have tempered the transubstantiation debate.
Understanding the body and the bread! Beautiful!