The Lord's Supper: Has It Lost It's Wonder?
As a kid I remember the Lord's supper being a special, sacred event during worship. I remeber the majority of the time was spent taking communion. At my parents church, Woodlawn Church of Christ in Abilene, when it came time for communion someone would give a communion talk and another person would read a scripture. Then the lights were dimmed throughout the entire act of communion. It felt holy, sacred, specail. It was heartfelt and meaningful for everyone. It was more than just a ritual that were trying to get done with so we could get to the restraunt quicker. I don't remember anyone ever leaving after communion either. It brought a sense of wonder and unity among the body.
Has communion lost its wonder? Has communion become something we do in worship without really thinking about it? How much time do we spend on communion? As parents with small children, I know how hard it is to concentrate during communion. Is it wrong to take it without being seriously focused on what is going on? Should we take it every week, once a week, twice a year, once a year? What does your church do? Is it okay to take it on Saturday or any other day of the week? Why or why not? Why are you seeing more churches offering it on Saturday evening worship services? Who should be able to take it? What has your church done to make Communion special? Should it be the major thing we do in worship? Why or why not? How can we make it more than what has been in the past? What has your congregations done to make communion more than just another ritual in worship? What do you think about during communion? What should you think about? What does it do for you as a Christian when you take it? Some believe that the bread actually become the body and the cup, blood? Do you believe that or not? Why do some? Do you have fond memories of communion growing up or at your current congregation? What are they?
What do you think?
Share your thoughts.
posted by preacherman @ 3:01:00 PM
26 Comments:
Hi preacherman,
If all those questions get addressed, this thread may set some kind of record!
It is easy to get our focus on the mechanics and the process, and miss the purpose of communion. We all know what that purpose is. But we get distracted. I personally don't like those communion talks that tell a personal story, heart-wrenching though it may be. I want to think about Jesus, about what he did for me, and about how much he loves me. And I want to express gratitude for all of that. I want to acknowledge my continued sinfulness and my need for continued mercy.
I say "I want to..." because it does not always happen. There are a lot of things that distract me--and I'm one of the least distractable people alive. Satan does not want communion to have its intended effect, and he is not idle.
I don't think we are supposed to perform for God in communion. It's not as though I'm trying to achieve a certain level of spirituality during communion so God will be pleased. I think it is about helping my heart, by reminding me of some important things. That's what the scriptures say the purpose is.
Anyway, that's my concept of communion FWIW.
I think it's up to the perception of the individual.
I do believe the importance of communion should be stressed from the pulpit, however.
A neat thing that my wife & I do during our weekly communion, is whenever the trays are passed, I gather the cups and bread, and I serve her.
It's a beautiful tradition, one that I want to instill into my own family.
We also pray for the lost during the silence after the cup is passed. It just seems appropriate.
Alan,
Thanks for your comments and adding to the discussion.
I just had a lot of questions that I wanted people to think about in terms of the Lords Supper. There are many questions and countless ways this discussion can go. I just hope we will focus on what needs to be focused on as far as communion. I think you have a lot of great thoughts.
Josh,
Thanks for your thoughts as well.
What a wonderful thing you and your wife share during communion. It is great to start traditions that make it specail. Thanks for sharing.
Preacherman,
I am a huge critic of the joke we call the Lords Supper. We have reduced it to a symbol of a symbol. We withdraw into our own individual little worlds in silence and do no real communing. I cannot believe that you think so highly of your Woodlawn tradition. I don't think Jesus and the disciples would know what you are doing. And I sure dont.
I look forward to the great eschatological feast. I reflect on Jesus feeding 5000 in the wilderness. I think of the meal in the upper room, and of the passover festival that jammpacked Jerusalem each year of Jesus ministry and countless others. I see none of that in dimmed lights and silent introspection. In that tradition, I see timid church of Christ people afraid of "doing it wrong" somehow.
I was once accused of blasphemy for sharing similar thoughts on just this subject. The man got red in the face wagging his finger and accusing me of grave sin. I figure he needed to look in the mirror when he did that. His view of communion seems indefensible to me, and for him to make such accusation forced me to turn the table.
I think we should put the Supper back into the Lords Supper. Currently it is merely the Lords Snack. Everything is reduced to convenience these days, with readymade cracker and disposible cups. We are not environmentally friendly with it. I suspect the Creator may feel mocked by it. I work in a bookstore that sells disposable communion sets -a piece of wafer attached to a plastic throw away cup with juice in it. What a crock! I would sooner skip the service.
Gone are the days when someone actually cared enough to make bread for the church. It seems convenience out ranks love for preparing and sharing. No one even thinks of it anymore. Why not?
And why all the silence? Jesus was not silent in the upper room. The disciples were not sitting around having some buddhist style spiritual reflection in a western individualist fashion. Shouldn't we hummm or something? Or better yet, talk about Jesus?
Oh yeah, the short talk! I guess that is what that is for. They did not do it in the upper room, and the patriarchs did not tell anecdotal personal stories; the told of Freedom from Egypt and Freedom from Rome! And Jesus talked about broken body and shed blood. And Paul PROCLAIMS HIS DEATH!
In my own ministry, as you are aware from following my blog for a while, I take communion to the street. I hold a communion service at midnight out on the street in front of drug deals and prosititutes. Children, whose parents are MIA, join in the service and we eat and drink until the body and blood are all gone. We do this as a theological excercise. It is, as Jesus models, going to the place of shame, pain and despair in our community and bearing the image of God there. It is proclaiming the Death. It is also having a profound effect on lives on that street.
We share communion with any who will come to the table of the Lord. He is the host. And the stories starting to unfold of changing lives from this simple symbolic act of ministry is amazing. We have witnessed a crack ho with aids and no where to live suddenly quit her drug habit and get a place to live off the street. She is coming to church now. Several children are coming to church. And as of Friday night two weeks ago, we think our little ministry might have prevented a murder. You can read these stories thoughout my blog. But the most recent report is found on my Dad's blog. See it at
http://churchthots.blogspot.com/2006/10/children-of-night.html
and at
http://churchthots.blogspot.com/2006/10/prayer-stops-murder.html
I do not mean to put you or anyone down for your way of doing communion. But I seriously challenge it. It needs to be rethought. I appreciate your willingness to consider it. And thanks for allowing me to express my thoughts.
Many blessings...
Mike,
Wow. Thanks for sharing but I have one question that I have been thinking about for a long time. How do we go about changing the way we do it? People have been taught or think it is a certain way for so long. Do we start with leadership? Classes? Discussion? Any advice?
Now that is a lot of questions! One thing that some churches pay more attention to than churches of Christ is the meaning/emphasis of use of space. In almost every CofC I have been a part of have had the pulpit raised, in the front, and center in the auditorium. We value the Word and we should. The primary purpose of why we come together is to remember him and offer our lives to him through the other acts of worship: through the Word, singing, etc. One move that I think is good is to move the communion table front and center and move the pulpit offset to one side. I also think Home groups/LIFE groups are a great way to participate in communion in a smaller setting with more of the meaning that it originally had as a communal event. Last, I think we need to spend more time emphasizing the "body of Christ" - both meanings (Christ's physical body and the church being his body). We spend so much time focusing on Christ and never discern the other aspect of his body - the person sitting next to you! Just a few thoughts. Good post.
David,
As far as making changes, I think it starts in the word and is expressed through all aspects of leadership in the church (ministers, elders, deacons, etc.). It would be presented as a unified front within the leadership by pointing to deeper meaning in scripture than what we have been emphasizing in the past. One thing I love is our respect for scripture - point people there and they will have a hard time opposing you. It is also hard to oppose a move that is based on uniting the community around Christ in a biblical way.
This a very interesting discussion. I am really enjoying it. My favorite time during worship is the Lord's Supper. I feel strengthened in my faith and relationship with God when I take it and remember what he has done for me. Thanks Matt for the comments. And Mike I can tell you have a heart of Jesus ministering to people who need Jesus. I wish I could be more like you and have that kind of faith. Thank you for sharing your story with us. Does the Lord's Supper help you to do what you do on the streets?
Mike,
Thanks for adding to the discussion. You have a lot of great points that we should consider.
David thank you for your questions and encouragement to others. Personally I think as Matt stated that it should begin with scripture. After looking at what God says, then go to the leaders and open up form of discussion.
Matt,
Sorry for all the questions. I kind of went overboard this time with the question. :-) I have just been thinking about communion for a while and had some of these questions and think some of these questions should be discussed. I want to thank you for your comments and adding to the discussion and advice. I appreciate it.
At our congregation, the Lord's Supper takes 5 minutes, and the sermon takes 25 minutes. I know time should not be the main tool we use to analyze our activities, but it is really frustrating. I really appreciate Mike's struggles with the 'Lord's Snack' and the Westernized individualistic pseudoBuddhist navelgazing we call "discerning the body."
JM Hicks has written "Come To The Table" a really good book on the Lord's Supper in the SC Movement, along with suggestions for enriching our current practice and letting Scripture shape us.
in HIS love,
Nick
I don't know the details of a lot of other denominations' communion services. Of the churches I've visited, only one of them celebrated communion at that particular service -- lots of them seem to do it only one weekend per month. That one church I visited had ornate platters holding plastic "shot glasses" of grape juice, and we shared pieces of saltines (I think). I've noticed the large non-denominational evangelical church near me has holders for similar cups in the aisles.
It's no secret from my blog nor from my previous comments here that I'm Catholic, and it's probably also no secret what we acknowledge communion (Holy Eucharist, also called the Blessed Sacrament) to be. It's not a symbol to us, not as Jesus instituted it. It's not a memorial, we're not mourning. We share in the breaking of the bread in which the Apostles shared: the Last Supper is re-presented, not represented, at every Mass in every church every day. It's a transcendental concept, a true universal communion.
Every time I receive the Eucharist, I am in awe of what I am receiving and amazed by the power of God.
I have been struggling lately with the idea of why do we think we have to do everything the same way they did it in 1st Century. You look at the communion feast in 1 Corinthians did Paul not get on to them for doing it with the wrong attituded and didn't the meal cause problems in the church?
I believe that as Christains we need to understand that the way we do things can change and that it is okay to have a cracker and a little cup of juice. Did Paul tell us how to do it? Did he order the church and command that we have to have a meal? I think the little cracker and little cup can just as meaningful and even more meaningful than the way they did it in the 1st century if you look at what was going on in 1st Cor.
I do think if we just go through the motions that is just as wrong as what was going on at the church in Corinth. Is it really wrong that communion has become a personal thing? We do take it as a body...that should say something, right?
Preacherman: if you believe Paul was an Apostle chosen by Christ why not just take his word for public worship service and leave it there? We all try hard to find a better way.
1 Corinthians Chap 11. Tells us about how to worship in public.
1 Cor: 11:26: For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
27: Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28: But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29: For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30: For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31: For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32: But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
33: Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
34: And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
I believe it takes more than a pinch off a cracker and a sip of juice to fulfill what is said here.
I believe our once monthly potluck lunch comes closer.
Just my opinion LEM.
My simplistic comment is that I think most churches could use improvement in their weekly communion ritual.
One example - with so many folks traveling these days - it seems the "guy in charge of making sure there are plenty to wait on the table" is running around like crazy looking for volunteers/any volunteer to pitch in and help. One suggestion would be to have an entire family(s) in charge of passing the trays for that week or month. Yep - I'm actually proposing women and children to pass the trays - how whacky is that?
Preacherman,
You ask questions that need to be asked. I think that communion is a blessed event that takes place during worship. One of the things that our congregation does is the song leaders sings some songs about communion and then we either have a scripture and communion talk. It helps us focus on what we need to focus on and I know I enjoy it alot.
Preacherman,
Good questions and discussion.
I believe that communion or the Lord Supper is designed for Christians to remember what Christ has done for them. Christians. Not non-Christians. Not children. Not seekers. But for Christians who have been sanctified with the blood of Christ. It is a special event for Christians who have been covered by the blood. A time of rememberance and reflection. A time where the entire body of believers takes it together signifying the unity that the body and blood brings to his church.
Why would and should communion be offered to anyone else other than Christians. It doesn't make sense. I tell my children they have to wait until they become Christians before they can take it. It will be something for them to look forward to and will be that much more special.
When? As often as you do it. Its up to you
Why? Jesus said to do it! To remember his body and blood, broken and poured out for our sins. And to look forward to His coming.(..not mentioned often), "til I come".
Who? Anyone. What right have I to tell anyone they can't obey a command of Jesus? The warning is to examine one's self, not his neighbor.
How? Just as long as you do it for the right reasons I don't think it matters.
Who serves it? Any believer suits me. Nothing in the Bible contradicts that to my knowledge.
My personal belief is that having that celebration weekly makes it routine and usual and that is sad. I have been in churches where the supper was observed 4 times a year and it was humbling and very worshipful. I fear that in many of our chruches it means little more than the songs we sing without paying attention to the words.
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
Royce,
That argument is the exact argument used by lots and lots of believers to support their "Christmas and Easter only" attendance. Going to church every week makes it routine and usual.
Timing does not make ANYTHING routine and usual. Personal CHOICE makes things routine and usual. As in, if I DECIDE not to revere something, it will be routine and usual no matter how rarely I do it. A yearly physical can become ruotine and usual. Why not a every-three-month communion celebration?
Ted,
Your points are solid, and they can be supported by some Scripture and history. However, other Scripture and history can be used to support the idea that the Lord's Supper feast was an open meal, used to bless the local community with free food. There has been considerable debate over whether there were two assemblies, one open to the public and another especially for believers.
in HIS love,
Nick
I appreciate everyone's comments and discussion.
One book that I have found very interesting and helpful on the subject of communion is:
"Sunday Dinner: The Lord's Supper and the Christian Life" by William Willimon. It even includes a study guide for classes.
Perhaps communion loosing it's wonder is not communion's fault, but the worshipper's fault. The message behind it never grows old to me. It is more than a tradition, it is more than a sacrament or something we do weekly, but it is a memorial and celebration, a time of introspection. Communion has not lost it's wonder because the message is the same. I never have understood what people who say that expect? Do they expect some emotionally charged event? Do they expect peals of thunder and rumblings? Do they expect smoke and a vision? Why can't we just do what God says without having to have this emotionally powerful event? It may include emotions sometimes, but if you are like me you are not always on the mountaintop, but I still do it and I never get tired of hearing about the broken body and spilled blood of Jesus. Just some thoughts!
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