On the Lord’s own day gather together and break bread and give thanks . . . – Didache, 14.1
Big news for our worship services: as of September 7th, we are changing our frequency of communion to weekly. This change will add depth and richness to services, and it will bring us into a more faithful expression of Christian worship, one that connects with the Reformation heritage we claim. Today, the church that is best-known for celebrating weekly communion is the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, this was not the case until after the Protestant Reformation, which, although rejected by Rome, still influenced Rome dramatically. One of the protests of the medieval church by Protestants was that communion was typically offered to laity only once per year at Easter, it was not understood (since the service was in Latin), and the only element offered was the wafer. This led to Reformation churches advocating the celebration of the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis. Both Lutheran and Reformed churches (like ours) encouraged weekly communion early on, though practices varied. It wasn’t until Pope Pius X encouraged laypeople to take the sacrament regularly in the early 1900s Roman Catholics changed their practice to every Sunday. But this is not a Catholic practice, it is a Christian practice, one that goes back a long way. The Didache, quoted above, is one of the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament, written between 50 and 120 AD. As you would expect from the title (which means “instruction” or “teaching”), it instructs on various topics related to worship, Christian living, Christian leaders, and doctrine. It admonishes to practice the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis.
What is communion? Our view (aka, “the correct view”)
Communion (or The Lord’s Supper, or the Breaking of the Bread, or the Eucharist, which means “thanksgiving”) is a sacrament. And what is a sacrament? Well, the word literally means “mystery.” Now, there are different interpretations within Christian churches about sacraments. Here’s a meme that explains the options you have as a Christian when it comes to the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper:
As a Reformed Presbyterian Church in the EPC, we believe that the second option in the meme is the Biblically faithful option (you aren’t supposed to be able to read option two in the meme, because, well, it’s a meme and supposed to be funny . . . and now that I’ve explained it, it isn’t very funny. Either way, if you’d like to read it, which I recommend highly, it is chapter 29 of the Westminster Confession of Faith, quoted below). Thus, we believe communion is more than a mere remembrance. It is not merely a special way of looking back to Christ’s death on the cross that we participate in because Jesus told us to. It is deeper than that. Yet, we do not believe that the elements of bread and wine become the literal body and blood of Christ. When the pastor recites the words of institution over the bread and cup, they do not change into flesh and blood. We do not, in other words, “eat God” when we partake of communion. Jesus is bodily in heaven, at the right hand of the Father. His resurrected body can be in one place at one time. This is not to say that Christ is not with us spiritually. He is. But His body remains in heaven until His return.
“The body of Christ is in heaven at the right hand of the Father and not on earth in the elements.” — Belgic Confession, Article 35
We believe that Jesus Christ’s real spiritual presence is received in a particular, special way during our participation in the Lord’s Supper. This presence is not intrinsic in the elements themselves, but is connected to the reception of the Lord’s Supper when received by faith. The Holy Spirit is active in communion, and seals God’s promises on our hearts. This is described in our own Westminster Confession of Faith:
“Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this sacrament, do then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually, receive and feed upon Christ crucified . . .” — WCF, 29.7
Jesus is not bodily present, yet His real, spiritual presence is experienced and received by faith.
I know this is a lot of quotes, but our EPC Book of Order describes communion like this:
“There is a spiritual or sacramental relationship in the sacraments between the sign (water and bread and wine) and what is signified. The power revealed in the sacraments does not reside in them or in the one administering them but is in the work of the Holy Spirit and in the promise of God who gives benefits to those who worthily receive them. Thus, the sacraments are powerful and effective in the life of the recipient because of God’s Word, which instituted them. For this reason, the sacraments should not be neglected or omitted.” (EPC Book of Order, p.140)
So, why are we going to weekly communion? Ultimately, because moving to weekly communion will nourish faith and deepen relationship with Jesus for all of us. And that is what we all need.
Objections and Questions
Now, you might have an objection to this, and it might be one of the following three:
1. Our services are going to take too long.
True, it does take more time to celebrate communion, and the services will be longer. But, there are different things we are going to do to manage the time, including but not limited to: an adjustment of how we take communion, having minutes for mission as we take the offering, and reducing the “explanation time” for the elements of worship. We will target 80 minutes for our worship services. And there is always the trump card for this objection – the living God is worth more time if we are worshipping in the ways that please Him most.
2. The logistics will be too challenging.
One change we will be making is to go back to the mode of intinction (pull a piece of bread from the loaf, and dip it into the cup). We will not have to cut little pieces of bread, nor fill mini cups of juice. This will save time and preparation effort. But we also would like help from all officers in our church, deacons and elders, who are able to serve. This includes a number of you who are reading or listening to this, who have not volunteered to serve communion for a long time. Please reach out to Avery Gleeson to offer your help.
3. Monthly frequency makes communion more special.
This objection simply does not hold weight. We would not wait until next month to pray or read the Bible in order to make it more special. We would not wait a month to share a family dinner together because we wanted to make it more special. We probably should not wait a month to enjoy time with our spouse in order to make it more special. The gravity and joy of communing with Jesus in the Lord’s Supper suggests that we ought to enjoy it every time we gather on the Sabbath.
4. How will this affect children’s ministry?
Starting in September, we will include all 5th and 6th graders in Sunday morning worship. This will enable them to partake of communion with us. It also allows families to worship together, which is the Biblical model that we strive to embody. We are also extending and expanding a ministry to this age group that we have offered for a number of years. Beginning in the fall, we will offer a JAM/Youth group gathering for our 5th and 6th grade students on Sunday evenings from 5-7pm on the first three Sundays of the month. These evenings will align with the Youth Nights for 7th-12th graders. In addition to a lesson, there will be food and games, providing the kids in this age group with a chance to learn at their level as well as socialize and build community with their peers.
There may be other objections and/or questions – feel free to ask them!
Conclusion
I will leave you with a word from John Calvin on the Lord’s Supper as he personally experienced it.
“Now, if anyone asks me how this takes place, I shall not be ashamed to confess that it is a secret too lofty for either my mind to comprehend or my words to declare. I rather experience it than understand it. Here, then, without any quibbling, I embrace the truth of God in which I may safely rest: that Christ’s body and blood are truly food and drink for my soul, so that I am nourished by them unto eternal life. … The Lord grants that through the power of his Spirit, the life-giving flesh of Christ infuses itself into us as nourishment.”
May we all experience communion in this way every week that we gather, beginning next month.
Pastor David