Communion

[Shelby]

This is my stance as well as my churches on Communion and the Sacraments. I grew up Catholic and I respect communion, but through much prayer I have been led to believe that it is an outward sign of an inward working. I have communion when I sit down to eat, and my family prays and thanks God for his sacrifice that I might live and enjoy HIs grace and mercy. JMHO

The sacraments

A sacrament has been described as an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace.  It is a sign of grace that can be seen, smelled, heard, touched, tasted.  It draws on the most common human experiences to express the most uncommon divine gifts.  It takes what we take for granted and uses it to overwhelm us with the surprising grace of God.

A sacrament is an event in which the truths of our faith move into something that is quite beyond theological formulation and our attempts at comprehension.  It brings the Incarnation to our doorstep, invites us to swing open the door of our intellectual caution and calls us to allow God's incomprehensible grace to enter - and transform - our ordinary lives.  Sacraments deal with the extraordinary in the ordinary - extraordinary things like God's saving sacrifice, his inclusive fellowship, his call to discipleship, his forgiving family - ordinary things like a meal shared with those we care about, or a meal for strangers, water for washing, a flag to stand under, a joining of hands.

Christ, the one, true, original Sacrament, invites us to the ordinary, the common stuff of human existence, invites us to where he entered the scene in a stable, to where he subjected himself to an unsophisticated baptismal initiation rite, to where he sat at a humble table with family and friends, sinners and outcasts, to where a lively party was going on, to where he presided at a simple banquet using pieces of bread and a cup of wine to celebrate his coming death, the most significant event in the history of the human race.  He invites us to the sacrament of his life, death and resurrection, the sacrament of the ordinary in the extraordinary.

As his sacramental people, we find him living and at work in our own life-experiences.  We celebrate the presence, the gift, the healing, the reconciliation, the joy in our own story by connecting it with the story of Jesus.

We are a sacramental community because our life, our work, and our celebrations centre on Christ, the one true Sacrament.  Our life together is sacramental because we live by faith in him and our everyday lives keep stumbling onto unexpected grace, his undeserved gift, again and again.

Early in our history, The Salvation Army chose not to observe specific sacraments as prescribed rituals.  However, we do identify with the historic Church through its confession of one faith, one Lord, one baptism of the Holy Spirit, one salvation, and one Church universal.  We confess one sacramental meal, not administered ritually, but presided over by Christ himself at any table where he is received and honoured.

We observe the sacraments, not by limiting them to two or three or seven, but by inviting Christ to suppers, love feasts, birth celebrations, parties, dedications, sick beds, weddings, anniversaries, commissionings, ordinations, retirements - and a host of other significant events - and, where he is truly received, watching him give a grace beyond our understanding.  We can see, smell, hear, touch, and taste it.  We joyfully affirm that in our presence is the one, true, original Sacrament.  And we know that what we have experienced is reality.

[AllforJesustheLord]

My belief is this the bread Jesus said is the body of Christ, and the wine, and/or juice, which is blessed by God is the blood of Christ, this is what Christ said, and who am I to add on to what Christ said.

[gop_jeff]

Someone else said it already, but the important thing is not how often it is taken, but that it is taken. I grew up in the Church of Christ, which does communion weekly. I now attend a Nazarene church, where we do it monthly. I really don't think it should be a point of contention. Not to mention, you can take communion anywhere. I have done communion with my family at home.

[stevehut]

This is my stance as well as my churches on Communion and the Sacraments. I grew up Catholic and I respect communion, but through much prayer I have been led to believe that it is an outward sign of an inward working....

The sacraments

A sacrament has been described as an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace.

[Guest charlie]

I've seen a few posts that quote the scripture on the sacrament being in done in memory BUT there are other scriptures that refer to the sacrament of communion and I always find it curious that people often don't mention those.

All four accounts of the Last Supper describe how, during the meal, Jesus took bread, blessed, broke and gave it to his disciples saying, "This is my body.' All accounts add that later in the meal he took a cup of wine, passed it round and said, "this is my blood of the covenant.." See Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:14-23; and see Cor. 11:23-26

Jesus says clearly that the communion bread and wine is His Body and His Blood and that it is ALSO done in memory of Him. So, it's both a memorial and Him.

As far as how often it should be done I think the verses mentioned earlier, Cor. 11:19-22 is addressing something else going on in the church at Corinth and the serving of the Lord's Supper is bringing it to light. If you continue further on in the chapter Cor. 11:26 has this to say:

"For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes."

With that in mind I think we should take the sacrament of communion often and keep Cor. 11:27-34 in mind before we take it because we are told that if we partake in an unworthy manner we will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

[Khristeeanos]

Acts 2:42 says:

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

I think that they devoted themselves to communion.

Also, Acts 20:7 says:

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread.

If both of these references are to communion, then we see this:

The first Christians were devoted to, and practiced weekly on Sunday, the sacrament of communion.

It almost seems to me to be the reason they gathered.

[Guest charlie]

Good points Dime Ministries, I agree!

[Khristeeanos]

The Restoration Movement partakes of communion each week. At least all of the ones that I know of.

I don't think it has become ritualistic or anything to me.

It is a great privilidge to me.

[Guest Calamity]

I don't think there is any specific set times that we are supposed to do this - like once a week, month, etc. I've heard preachers say that the Bible says to "do it often", but it says "as often as". There's a difference.

I Cor.11

[23] For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

[24] And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

[25] After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

[26] For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

[Guest dove2]

Jamie,

I understand and agree with what you are saying. Legalism will cause many to stumble because it is pushed down our throats. Legalism is very ritualistic.

When we take Communion we want to remember what Jesus did for us. We are not to do it as a ritual. The Holy Spirit will tell us when to take Communion even if it is just between me and Jesus and no one else. I don't take Communion because someone tells me to. I only take Communion when the Holy Spirit tells me to.

When we drink the wine/grape juice we are to remember the blood of Jesus. Because Jesus shed His blood for us, we never have to just be covered by the blood of lambs. Jesus was our sacrificial lamb and His blood removed our sins. Used to animals had to be killed once a year to cover the sins of the past year and now all we have to do is ask Jesus to forgive us of our sin. And they are far removed and not just covered.

When we eat the bread for Jesus' flesh we are reminded that we never have to eat flesh of animals again for remembrance at Passover. We have Jesus who is a living sacrifice that we partake of. There are so many things we are reminded of when it comes to Communion. The main things we are reminded of is Jesus blood shed for us, His death, burial and resurrection.

One more thing, when we take Communion, we are reminded that we can go straight to the Throne room of God. We don't have to go before an earthly priest anymore.

We take Communion when we really want to remember everything Jesus did for us. We can take Communion anytime of day or night. When we are filled with such love for Jesus that we want Him to know that we truly remember what He did for us.

The Scriptures Calmity posted says it all.

Jesus is the New Testament.

Revelation 12:11 says, "And they overcame him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."

I know you know all of this Jamie. I just wanted you to know that I really understand where you are coming from.