On our last class session of 2014, we talked about Jesus' last supper with his disciples before he was arrested and crucified. The events that unfolded that night are what led to the church's practice of the Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, Eucharist (all three names refer to the same thing!). At least at our church, every time we celebrate the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, you'll hear these words of Scripture: |
On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26, NLT)
Just do it! But...how often?
Jesus said "do this", and so we do. Since its beginning, the Christian church has broken bread and shared wine (or, since the late 19th century, grape juice) on a regular basis. Some churches practice the Lord's Supper quarterly - just four times a year - while other churches practice it every Sunday or even every day of the week. There are some churches that don't practice it at all (the Salvation Army, for example). Most Covenant churches, ours included, practices Holy Communion once a month. Why? When we look at the Bible, we don't see any clear mandate on the frequency of sharing the sacrament. Here's what we do see: | DID YOU KNOW? Welch's Grape Juice got its start during the temperance movement in 1869 as a non-alcoholic alternative to communion wine. |
Acts 2:42-47 describes the activities of the early church - learning about the apostles' teaching, spending time in fellowship, praying, sharing their possessions, helping those in need, and, of course, breaking bread.
In Acts 20:7-11, there is reference to a church in Troas that "came together to break bread" "on the first day of the week".
(Note: When the Bible says "breaking bread" we assume that refers to the Lord's Supper.)
References to the sacrament in 1 Corinthians 10 and 11 don't mention anything specific about how often the Lord's Supper was celebrated.
So, in seeking to be faithful to the example in Scripture and the tradition that's been passed on to us, we share the Lord's Supper once a month.
In Acts 20:7-11, there is reference to a church in Troas that "came together to break bread" "on the first day of the week".
(Note: When the Bible says "breaking bread" we assume that refers to the Lord's Supper.)
References to the sacrament in 1 Corinthians 10 and 11 don't mention anything specific about how often the Lord's Supper was celebrated.
So, in seeking to be faithful to the example in Scripture and the tradition that's been passed on to us, we share the Lord's Supper once a month.
Just do it! But...what does it mean?
Perhaps a much more important question than how often we share the sacrament is what it means. This is a lot harder to pin down, though! Our building block gives a good summary for us.
WHAT IS THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD'S SUPPER?
The Lord's Supper is the sacred use of the bread and the cup as commanded by Jesus Christ. At the Lord's Table, believers recognize his presence, remember his suffering, proclaim his death until he comes, and partake of him in faith.
To unpack that definition, students wrote their responses to those four things listed: We recognize Jesus' presence. He said he would be with us when we follow his lead and share the Lord's Supper. We can't explain exactly how he is present (though many have tried, using big words like transubstantiation and consubstantiation), but he is there. We remember Jesus' suffering. His body was broken. His blood was poured out. Every time we share Holy Communion we remember the cross and everything Jesus went through for our salvation. | |
We proclaim Jesus' death until he comes. When we take communion, we are making a statement - a proclamation - that we are his followers until the very end. We follow a Lord who sat with people who would soon betray him and yet he still loved them unconditionally. We follow a Lord who has promised to return and make all things right. We believe that one day we'll have a feast in heaven with all the saints who have gone before us.
We partake of him in faith. We trust and believe that God will strengthen us when we come to him at the Lord's Table. By actually consuming what Jesus said would be his body and blood, we are reminded that Jesus really is with us - not just in the sharing of this simple meal, but always.
We partake of him in faith. We trust and believe that God will strengthen us when we come to him at the Lord's Table. By actually consuming what Jesus said would be his body and blood, we are reminded that Jesus really is with us - not just in the sharing of this simple meal, but always.
So, we did it. And it meant something!
| As pastor and teacher, it didn't feel right to me to talk about the sacrament of the Lord's Supper without also doing it. So we ended our class by sharing communion. I enticed our students with some freshly baked pita bread. We had the communion set that we usually use on Sunday mornings. Having read the Scriptures that led to this practice, and praying that God would use those simple elements - the bread and the grape juice - to make Jesus real for us in the sharing of this meal, we went around the table and served one another, saying "the body of Christ, broken for you," and, "the blood of Christ, shed for you". |