Frequency of Communion

[DanielRB]

Hi All,

I was wondering--how often do you think the Church should celebrate communion, and why? Also, should it be open to all believers in Christ, just local Church members, or something else? Can you please provide Biblical support for your viewpoint as well?

In Christ,

Daniel

[muffler dragon]

Considering I believe it to be a Passover dinner, I would say once a year. But that's just me being a pain the tushy. :)

m.d.

[Celticflower]

The church I attend serves communion every week. This is not a bad thing, but sometimes it feels like just a blip in the service (since there is no real communion service--will explain in a few lines) and is followed immediately by the offetory. This can feel like--OK we fed you, now pay up.

In the Methodist church I last attended and am still , technically, a member of, communion was once a month. And communion was like a little service within a service-with its own set of prayers, praises and a time of remembering not just what we are doing, but WHY. The whole tenor of communion is different from what I experience now. In the Methodist service of the the Table there is a real sense of being in the presence of God thru Christ. I find that lacking in our current church.

I find nothing wrong with weekly communion, unless it has become a mindless routine done automatically with no real thought as to what it signifies. Then it is just an empty act of man.

Celtie

[indeep]

The church I go to also has it once a week, but then I don't always go to church *my bad* I have other commitments on weekends, unfortunately, but every time I go to church, I have communion.

[BInC]

My denomination (Disciples of Christ) serves it every week, but I believe that my particular chruch does not make a big enough deal aobut it. I think sometimes that we could do it a bit differently to remind us better of what it was for, but that is just my opinion. As for scripture ot back it up, I don't know that there is any. The only verses I can think of say "Do this in remembrance of me." I think as long as you do it regularly and do it to remember what Jesus did for us, that is good. I think the main resaon behind doing it weekly is to give Jesus as much praise and thankfullness as we can, but I don't know that it is necessary. I consider communion the most important part of a church service though, and a week without remembereing what Jesus did for us would be wrong.

[DanielRB]

My denomination (Disciples of Christ) serves it every week, but I believe that my particular chruch does not make a big enough deal aobut it. I think sometimes that we could do it a bit differently to remind us better of what it was for, but that is just my opinion. As for scripture ot back it up, I don't know that there is any. The only verses I can think of say "Do this in remembrance of me." I think as long as you do it regularly and do it to remember what Jesus did for us, that is good. I think the main resaon behind doing it weekly is to give Jesus as much praise and thankfullness as we can, but I don't know that it is necessary. I consider communion the most important part of a church service though, and a week without remembereing what Jesus did for us would be wrong.
Hi BInC,

I was raised in a Christian Church (same as Disciples of Christ) and we, too, took communion every week. I've found that to me Church seems missing something if I don't have it after every service. Frequency didn't seem to render it a common thing to get over with, any more than frequent prayer makes it just something to get over with.

In Christ,

Daniel

[Freelander]

We (Church of Christ) take it once a week.

[Bradford]

We only do it every 1st and 3rd Sundays at present... but, there are those, myself included, who think it should be done every week... my personal preference would be every Sunday and Wednesday...

As for Scripture, I have none other than Acts 2:42

Acts 2:42

But, the Didache gives us some guidance here-

Didache 14:1-3 On the Lord's Day of the Lord come together, break bread and hold Eucharist, after confessing your transgressions that your offering may be pure;2 but let none who has a quarrel with his fellow join in your meeting until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice be not defiled. 3 For this is that which was spoken by the Lord, "In every place and time offer me a pure sacrifice, for I am a great king," saith the Lord, "and my name is wonderful among the heathen."

So, by testimony of the apostles/early elders, Eucharist should be held no less frequently than every Sunday.

[Bradford]

As for closed/open practices, my church holds that only members of the LCMS, and those we are in fellowship with may partake... Nowhere is Scripture is this doctrine found, of course- but it is logical, and I'm not going to argue for it...

But some churches allow even non-Christians to recieve the Body and Blood.. to which, I have just to say... How could you have so little love for them?

1 Corinthians 11:27-30

Didache 9:5 But let none eat or drink of your Eucharist except those who have been baptised in the Lord's Name. For concerning this also did the Lord say, "Give not that which is holy to the dogs."

[BInC]

Hi BInC,

I was raised in a Christian Church (same as Disciples of Christ) and we, too, took communion every week. I've found that to me Church seems missing something if I don't have it after every service. Frequency didn't seem to render it a common thing to get over with, any more than frequent prayer makes it just something to get over with.

In Christ,

Daniel
I did not mean that it becomes somthing to get over with, but that my church does not lend enough significance to it. It is done in a manner of minutes, with only a few verses read before it. I would like to find some way to make it more meaningful.

As for who can take it, I believe that anyone who has asked for forgivess and has the Holy Spirit in their heart, anyone who has given their sins to Jesus, can and should take communion. For anyone else, it would be useless to remember a man who did nothing for you, and like it was mentioned, a waste.

[Bradford]

I did not mean that it becomes somthing to get over with, but that my church does not lend enough significance to it. It is done in a manner of minutes, with only a few verses read before it. I would like to find some way to make it more meaningful.

As for who can take it, I believe that anyone who has asked for forgivess and has the Holy Spirit in their heart, anyone who has given their sins to Jesus, can and should take communion. For anyone else, it would be useless to remember a man who did nothing for you, and like it was mentioned, a waste.
Worse yet, it is harmful for someone who is not a Christian to eat and drink the Eucharist. Remember, Christ said of it, "This is my body", "This is my Blood", Paul told the Corinthians that even among thmselves, some were ill and some were dead for not eating the Body and drinking the Blood worthly...

[Bon]

Where does the word communion come from?
Is it biblical?

Personally, I would call it Passover, (the bible refers to this as the bread (body) and the wine (blood) of Christ to be taken in rememberance of His death until He comes.

But Passover is a feast to the Lord which is held ANNUALLY on the forteenth day of the first month of the calendar of God. (Abib or Nisan).

This event points backward to the deliverance of Isrel (God's people) from Egypt (type of sin), and also to the sacrifice of the Lamb of God for our sins. More importantly, Passover points forward to its fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. (Luke 22:16) Jesus said "...I tell you I shall not eat it (Passover) until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God."

God progressively reveals Himself to mankind through meaningful object lessons, through physical ordinances intended to convey spiritual lessons, that becomes more and more significant as time passes on.

How can it be remotely possible that Passover is a Law of God that has been done away with?

With thanks from Bon

[EJO]

We perform Communion every fourth Sunday. After the service. It is only for people who claim Christ as their Lord. We worship God during Communion with a few songs. It is a time to remember what Christ has done for us on the cross.
Peace,

EJO

[BInC]

I consider passover and communion realted, but not the same thing. In passover, the spirit "passed over" the doors marked with blood, right? It was celbrating that they were spared, and then deliverd from egypt. Communion celebrates a new covenant. It frees us from the old law through the blood of Christ, because by the old law we were all doomed. Through His body, which was broken for us, we have been delivered from the judgement that we should have faced. I think it definitely holds significance that Jesus did this during passover, but I think he made it clear that it represented the new covenant, not the old.

[PaladinGirl]

I used to go to an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist church that had communion every week. I have also been to a few other churches but I don't know how often they had communion.

[happyinhisgrace]

Hi All,

I was wondering--how often do you think the Church should celebrate communion, and why? Also, should it be open to all believers in Christ, just local Church members, or something else? Can you please provide Biblical support for your viewpoint as well?

In Christ,

DanielI think that communion should be open to all believers, not just official "members" of a particular church. I also think churches should do communion whenever they meet as a body of believers to worship the Lord. However, it is hard to find a church that does this. The church I attend most of the time, does communion service once a month at church service for everyone and then Mon.-Fri. 7am-10am for anyone who wants to take it during the week. I don't attend Anglican service for Sunday worship or Bible study but I do go to a mid-week Eucherist (communion) at an Anglican church. I attend a different church for worship service and Bible study.

[n2wolves]

We have communion once a week at the begining of each week. (Sunday) Just as the apostles did.


Acts 20
7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight

[happyinhisgrace]

Where does the word communion come from?
Is it biblical?
The word "communion" means to join with or to commune. When we take of the Lord's supper, we are communing with God, we are joining with God in His will for our lives and acknowleging His almighty sacrafice to save us from our sin. We are joining with Him and proclaiming that we believe in Him, that we trust Him, that He is Lord of our hearts and our lives and that there is no other way to the FAther but through Him. I believe that communion is VERY biblical. The Word "trinity" is not in the Bible but the concept of it is all over the Bible and I believe it is Biblical also.

[Bon]

...I think he made it clear that it represented the new covenant, not the old.


I would appreciate if you could give me some bible texts explaining this as I'm not sure exactly what you mean.

With thanks,
Bon :)

[WashedClean]

I would appreciate if you could give me some bible texts explaining this as I'm not sure exactly what you mean.

With thanks,
Bon :)
Not to barge in and answer for BiNC, but how about this?

Luke 22:20
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

[blessedbe]

Our church(community church) does communion 1st wednesday of every month. We do it on Wednesdays because that is our mid-week service geared towards those who are already christians--like a bible study. We have open communion, meaning you do not have to be a member of our church BUT you do have to be a christian. It's a pretty serious event at our church, with our pastor making sure everyone is spiritually 'ready' to take communion. I like having it once a month myself, I fear personally that if I took communion once a week I wouldn't take it seriously enough, but that is a purely personal thing. I don't think there is any set rule on how often to take it, Jesus said "as often as you do this, do it in remembrance of me"--that's not too specific. Also in Acts it seems to indicate that the new church took communion every single time they met--Acts 2:42 "they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teachings and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer"--when I hear "breaking of bread", I think communion, though I guess it could mean eating, but they were talking about what they were devoting themselves to , not just what they were doing, which to me indicates communion.

[BInC]

Not to barge in and answer for BiNC, but how about this?

Luke 22:20
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Thanks, that is the verse I was looking at as I typed my original post. Jesus wanted us to know that he was setting us free from the old law, and now we come to God through Jesus himself, instead of the law.

[rhemarob]

The new Pastor in our last church ended the tradition of weekly communion changing it to once a month which caused quite a stir among many but I liked it because communion had become just a ritual we did every Sunday and had lost its meaning in a sense, when it went to once a month it just seemed to mean more.
Our current church does it once a month also, I like it that way.

[Iosias]

Hi All,

I was wondering--how often do you think the Church should celebrate communion, and why? Also, should it be open to all believers in Christ, just local Church members, or something else? Can you please provide Biblical support for your viewpoint as well?

In Christ,

Daniel
Once per week...Read Acts!

[eightfoot514]

I usually receive the Eucharist every day. To me, it is a wonderful way to start the day to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord. The Bible does not specify anywhere that the Eucharist should be limited to only once a week or once a month. It would seem that once a week was the minimum, but some partook of it daily. Shortly after Christianity was legalized in the Roman Empire, more frequent celebration of the Eucharist was encouraged by the faithful, and many more people began receiving daily.

–Acts 2:42-47 – They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and all things in common. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of hear, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people.
–Acts 20:7 – On the first day of the week when we gathered to break bread...

Remember what Paul said:
1 Corinthians 11:26 - For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Eric

[PaladinGirl]

Ok, so doesn't Acts 2:42-47 imply that they took part in Communion every single day?

Acts 2:42-47

I'm honestly not sure because according to eightfoot, the Bible says they broke bread every day.

[Mary of Bethany]

I grew up a Baptist (Southern Baptist), and we only had the Lord's Supper once a quarter, usually on a Sunday night, as a "Memorial" only.

I am now an Orthodox Christian so the central act of worship each Sunday (and on Feast Days) is the Eucharist (Holy Communion). At least in Orthodoxy, I don't see how receiving Communion weekly could *ever* lose its meaning or be taken lightly, because it is seen as very serious business. Only Orthodox Christians who have prepared by prayer & fasting & recent confession can receive, because we take the warning about not receiving worthily very seriously.

Obviously, it's a very different take on things than the Baptist way I grew up with. :)

[James G.]

We celebrate communion weekly, on Sundays. We consider it to be central to our worship together, the tie brings the worship assembly together. We have celebrated it as part of a Passover meal (this year). That, too, was very meaningful.

I don't struggle with it losing its meaning just because it's weekly. That would seem to me like saying the prayer, singing, etc. lose their meaning because of frequency.

[riverpastor]

Anybody here familiar with Smith Wigglesworth? He took communion every morning. Had a powerful healing and deliverance ministry. There's a reportedly 21 people raised from the dead in his ministry.

[Monica02]

The Church offers Mass every day of the year except Good Friday. Only those who believe in the true presence and are in a state of grace should receive. I do not think these rules are observed as closely as they shoud be.

[Suffolk Sean]

Anybody here familiar with Smith Wigglesworth? He took communion every morning. Had a powerful healing and deliverance ministry. There's a reportedly 21 people raised from the dead in his ministry.
I did not know Smith took communion every morning. But based on what I do know, he did nothing lightly when it came to God. He most likely could have done it hourly and still been extremely reverant of it.

[Crispie]

What my church does is every sunday have Communion at the end of the Sermon, someone says a prayer, tells us that this is in remembrace of Jesus, describes what he did for us, and then we all eat the bread and drink some grape juice (in place of wine), and we all do personal prayers to God. After that we take any tithings then do a prayer and church is over!

[eightfoot514]

Just curious. Why is grape juice used in place of wine?

[Celticflower]

Just curious. Why is grape juice used in place of wine?
Usually because it is cheaper, can be taken by minors without any legal problems, is not a temptation to recovering alcoholics and is inoffensive to those who do not drink for whatever the reason.

Celtie