How often should communion be given?

[rd151]

How often is communion to be given in the LCMS? Weekly, bi weekly or quarterly? What is the standard rule on this?

[Plutonius]

My church does it every other week. I wouldn`t mind to do it every week. Then again I am becoming a member, setting up for baptism and all that, so I can`t partake of communion yet anyway :(

[DaRev]

Jesus tells us to "do this often." The Lord's Supper is one of the most, if not the most, precious gifts that our Lord gives to us (besides life itself). It is an important part of the Divine Service.

Our church has communion every Sunday and certain other holy days including Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Ascension Day, and Thanksgiving.

[LilLamb219]

Rule? No rule...it's not Law ;)

My church has chosen to offer it every Sunday at the Divine Service and on Saturday nights and Sunday mornings (the early service) it rotates.

[porterross]

We only have communion every 2nd and 4th Sunday, but I wish it could be part of every service.

[DaSeminarian]

How often is communion to be given in the LCMS? Weekly, bi weekly or quarterly? What is the standard rule on this?

No rule. How much would you like to receive it? There is a church here in Fort Wayne that will give it twice weekly. I would rather look at it from the point of view that I am sinful and need it constantly because it is one of the means of grace by which I receive forgiveness for my sins.
I would teach the congregation about the benefits received in Holy Communion and let them decide for themselves how often they want it and then offer it as much as possible.

[HighLonesome]

1st & 3rd Sundays and special service also . . .
would like to receive it every Sunday though

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

Rule? No rule...it's not Law ;)

Exactly.

I would say that Holy Communion parallels the Jewish Shabbat (sabbath) practice, this makes a great argument from weekly practice. Jews remember that they are a people in covenant relationship with the God who finished his initial work of creation on Friday at dusk through the reading of the Word and the celebration of the ritual covenant symbol, a meal of bread and wine.

So too, Christians remember that we are a people in covenant relationship with the God who finished his initial work of recreation on a Sunday morning through the reading of the Word and the celebration of the ritual covenant symbol, a meal of bread and wine.

Without the Eucharist, I don't see the point of moving worship to Sundays.

[Aibrean]

It's because of other churches that do it once a month or even less that they start to forget the meaning and reverence in how it should be received (and at a place that I used to attend which I will not mention they made NO mention that not everyone should partake such as unbelievers).

One of the very reasons why my brother and I decided that the church wasn't right for us...it held things too loose. It's like they don't want to be reminded of Jesus' sacrifice.

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

One of the very reasons why my brother and I decided that the church wasn't right for us...it held things too loose. It's like they don't want to be reminded of Jesus' sacrifice.

Like when their sermons are on pop self-help pseudopsychology techniques instead of the gospel, preaching with Paul the good news of Christ crucified (1 Cor 1:23) and knowing nothing but Christ crucified (1 Cor 2:2)?

[seajoy]

Jesus tells us to "do this often." The Lord's Supper is one of the most, if not the most, precious gifts that our Lord gives to us (besides life itself). It is an important part of the Divine Service.

Our church has communion every Sunday and certain other holy days including Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Ascension Day, and Thanksgiving.
That is wonderful Rev!
Our church has communion every other Sunday.

[Aibrean]

Like when their sermons are on pop self-help pseudopsychology techniques instead of the gospel, preaching with Paul the good news of Christ crucified (1 Cor 1:23) and knowing nothing but Christ crucified (1 Cor 2:2)?
Exactly...they preached "Feel Good" theology. It was like they didn't want to offend any one, and they wanted to babify the congregation...that includes music.

Galatians 1:10, "For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ."

[ctay]

We have it every sunday, my parents church where I transfered from does it the 1st and 3rd sunday.

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

Exactly...they preached "Feel Good" theology. It was like they didn't want to offend any one, and they wanted to babify the congregation...that includes music.

Galatians 1:10, "For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ."

So sad that this is thought of as the primary purpose of preaching...

I'm home on spring break so I went with my parents to their Baptist church yesterday. Apperantly the message of the healing of the leper in Mark 1 was that 'we should maintain a positive attitude.' I was like 'that, or the power of God for healing and restoration has come in the person of Jesus Christ for all mankind.'

[synger]

OUr church has Communion every Sunday, but it alternates between the two services. So if you only attend the 10:30 service, you get Communion twice a month. During Advent and Lent, when we have mid-week evening services, they serve it then, too.

[Tetzel]

I believe that it is the pastor's right to decide how frequently the sacrament should be celebrated, however infrequent communion is one of the few reasons I can think of that justifies "church shopping" I live near a University Church and am a member at another "main" church, and on days that I know there will be no communion at the "main" church, I head to the University because communion is almost always celebrated there unless they're closed for a break

[DaSeminarian]

I believe that it is the pastor's right to decide how frequently the sacrament should be celebrated, however infrequent communion is one of the few reasons I can think of that justifies "church shopping" I live near a University Church and am a member at another "main" church, and on days that I know there will be no communion at the "main" church, I head to the University because communion is almost always celebrated there unless they're closed for a break


Actually it is not up to the Pastor as to how many times. He certainly can teach the congregation the benefits of every week communion, but the overall decision is up to the congregation.

[dinkime]

we have communion on the 2nd, 4th & 5th sundays (or the corrosponding wednesday evenings) and on some of the special services -- Ash wednesday, Maundy thursday, etc

[C.F.W. Walther]

Well if our congregation gets any smaller we will have communion when we can afford to buy the wafers and wine.

I just wonder if there's anything in the potlucks we can use. We ALLWAYS have them....they're free. :)

[HighLonesome]

It's because of other churches that do it once a month or even less that they start to forget the meaning and reverence in how it should be received (and at a place that I used to attend which I will not mention they made NO mention that not everyone should partake such as unbelievers).

One of the very reasons why my brother and I decided that the church wasn't right for us...it held things too loose. It's like they don't want to be reminded of Jesus' sacrifice.
Everyone wants to be entertained these days so that most sermons are mediocre at best and while we're at it, let's all sing praise songs that emphasize me and forget what Christ did for us. Where are you Luther and Walther?

[DaRev]

Where are you Luther and Walther?

Rolling over in their graves. :P

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

What I simply can't comprehend is denying the congregation a weekly Sacrament but holding a weekly collection of the offering...

[DaSeminarian]

What I simply can't comprehend is denying the congregation a weekly Sacrament but holding a weekly collection of the offering...

GCC,

First of all the custom was up until 40 years ago once a month and then they adopted a twice a month system. Only in the last 10-15 years have churches really adopted an every Sunday communion policy much like our Roman Catholic cousins. Change never comes easy in the Lutheran Church and for some it is the mimicking of the Roman Catholics that kept us from doing as they do. Only recently have ministers in the Lutheran Church taught the benefits of Holy Communion every week.

So please be patient with those who have not established this practice.

It will probably be our generation that brings genuflection into vogue in our church.

[ctay]

I like having it every week, I wish more church's had it every week.

[DaRev]

Weekly communion was the norm until the "protestantation" of the Lutheran Church.

[Plutonius]

Weekly communion was the norm until the "protestantation" of the Lutheran Church.
Sigh, what can we do to regain what was lost?

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

GCC,

First of all the custom was up until 40 years ago once a month and then they adopted a twice a month system. Only in the last 10-15 years have churches really adopted an every Sunday communion policy much like our Roman Catholic cousins. Change never comes easy in the Lutheran Church and for some it is the mimicking of the Roman Catholics that kept us from doing as they do. Only recently have ministers in the Lutheran Church taught the benefits of Holy Communion every week.

So please be patient with those who have not established this practice

Yes, but this followed an earlier abandonment of weekly communion. (So DaRev, "Weekly communion was the norm until the "protestantation" of the Lutheran Church.")

It will probably be our generation that brings genuflection into vogue in our church.

Already workin' on it! :thumbsup:

But I would point out that there is a big difference between weekly communion and genuflection. Genuflection is a periphrial 'high church' sort of thing. I love it, but it's not necessary. But I can no longer imagine the fullness of Sunday morning covenant worship without the Sacrament, any more than a Jew can hold a proper Sabbath without the bread-wine meal at Friday dusk.

[DaSeminarian]

Yes, but this followed an earlier abandonment of weekly communion. (So DaRev, "Weekly communion was the norm until the "protestantation" of the Lutheran Church.")



Already workin' on it! :thumbsup:

But I would point out that there is a big difference between weekly communion and genuflection. Genuflection is a periphrial 'high church' sort of thing. I love it, but it's not necessary. But I can no longer imagine the fullness of Sunday morning covenant worship without the Sacrament, any more than a Jew can hold a proper Sabbath without the bread-wine meal at Friday dusk.

I never said there wasn't a big difference, but in terms of Lutherans bringing the customs from the Roman Catholic tradition into their worship, it is happening. I began to cross myself just a few years ago when it came time to take communion, and now I do it much more often and when the Gloria Patri is sung or said I bow towards the cross through the trinity and stand erect for the rest.

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

I never said there wasn't a big difference, but in terms of Lutherans bringing the customs from the Roman Catholic tradition into their worship, it is happening. I began to cross myself just a few years ago when it came time to take communion, and now I do it much more often and when the Gloria Patri is sung or said I bow towards the cross through the trinity and stand erect for the rest.

That's cool.

I just mean to say that weekly communion is a Lutheran tradition, and that it's abandonment came through Pietism and union with Reformed traditions. It's contemporary introduction is a reintroduction of a traditionally Lutheran practice, and not an adoption of a Catholic one.

And I also mean to say that wereas everything else is somewhat accidental, the inclusion of Holy Communion in the Sunday morning liturgy is, I think, essential. The abandonment of weekly communion in the Lutheran churches reflects, I believe, a loss in lay understanding of the magnitude of the Eucharistic presence of Christ and the influx of Pietist emphasis on preaching (particurally technique-oriented preaching). It reflects a loss of of appreciation of God's self-giving to man in favor of anthropocentric self-help culture and individual piety, and the exchange of God's self-giving to man in favor of man's attempt to do something for God. In short, it reflects a loss of the connection between the gospel as an abstract doctrine and the gospel as practiced and performed on us by God in our liturgies.

[DaSeminarian]

That's cool.

I just mean to say that weekly communion is a Lutheran tradition, and that it's abandonment came through Pietism and union with Reformed traditions. It's contemporary introduction is a reintroduction of a traditionally Lutheran practice, and not an adoption of a Catholic one.

And I also mean to say that wereas everything else is somewhat accidental, the inclusion of Holy Communion in the Sunday morning liturgy is, I think, essential. The abandonment of weekly communion in the Lutheran churches reflects, I believe, a loss in lay understanding of the magnitude of the Eucharistic presence of Christ and the influx of Pietist emphasis on preaching (particurally technique-oriented preaching). It reflects a loss of of appreciation of God's self-giving to man in favor of anthropocentric self-help culture and individual piety, and the exchange of God's self-giving to man in favor of man's attempt to do something for God. In short, it reflects a loss of the connection between the gospel as an abstract doctrine and the gospel as practiced and performed on us by God in our liturgies.


Tis true. Good old Jakob Philip Spener. We owe him so much for what Lutheranism is today.

We all have piety, but how far we take it is the key.