Communion

[Atonement]

I wanted to know about Communion and your Church. Does your Church partake in Communion? If so, what is the standard times your Church does it? I go to a baptist Church and I notice they do Communion every other month, for a remembrance. if your Church does not partake in Communion, should you leave the Church??

 

[golfjack]

reply

We have Communion once every month in my Church.




May God bless, golfjack

 

[Free]

The church that I attend does it every Sunday. I would be very wary of a church that didn't practice it at all.

 

[Atonement]

So Free, if a Church does not practice Communion, you believe that the person attending the Church should leave the Church? Should the person just leave or should they talk with the Pastor about it first? Figure out why it's not practiced?

 

[lovely]

It is a command, atonement, but I don't think I would leave without giving them the Truth before I left for their sake. I agree with Free, I would be wary of them...especially if they have a "good" reason why they don't observe it. :o The Lord bless you.

 

[TanNinety]

Should the communion only be done as a ritual in a church building? Can we not observe it at our own homes? It is to bring to remembrance of what the Messiah did for us. Not sure why one has to wait on the schedule of a church for this.

But I do agree with Free, I would be wary of a church that doesn't practice it at all.

 

[lovely]

Tan,

Hi. I think these are excellent question...

Tan wrote:

Should the communion only be done as a ritual in a church building? Can we not observe it at our own homes? It is to bring to remembrance of what the Messiah did for us. Not sure why one has to wait on the schedule of a church for this.

I'd be interested to see what others think about Father's (or some sort of patriarch) having communion with their families. I wonder about baptism too. The Lord bless you.

 

[Atonement]

Oh lovely, I know it's a commandment. This is why I want to hear where people stand on this issue. And yes we should participate Communion in our homes. If we (at least I) can not show my little girl the Bible principles. Who will? The world? I don't think so...

 

[destiny]

I'm not going to post in this thread beyond saying this:
I feel that the understanding of communion as being a wafer and a vial of juice/wine is far removed from what it was really intended to be.

Perhaps since they were sharing a meal...

 

[stray bullet]

The Eucharist is offered every day in our parishes... or rather, we may offer ourselves up to God through the Eucharist every day.

 

[mutzrein]

I'm not going to post in this thread beyond saying this:
I feel that the understanding of communion as being a wafer and a vial of juice/wine is far removed from what it was really intended to be.

Perhaps since they were sharing a meal...

And I say AMEN to that!

 

[stray bullet]

I'm not going to post in this thread beyond saying this:
I feel that the understanding of communion as being a wafer and a vial of juice/wine is far removed from what it was really intended to be.

Perhaps since they were sharing a meal...

Through most of history and even most of Christianity today, believe that communion is the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. That He did not say, "this is like my Body", but that "this is my Body".

It's not surprising that many Christians can not deal with a such a reality. When Jesus spoke about it in John 6, many of His disciples left Him because it was such a hard thing to hear.

 

[jgredline]

At my Church we do communion the first Sunday of the month. Its never the same. The Pastors change it up everytime so it does not turn into a religious affair. The Pastor also asks those who are not christians not to partake in communion..If a Church does not practice communion, then its sinning against the word of God. Unless they repent of this sin, then its best to leave.

 

[stovebolts]

Our Church gathers around the Lords table to partake each first day of the week as set by apostolic example (Acts 20:7)
Not only is communion a remembrance of the death and suffering that Christ endured on the cross, but it is also a time for fellowship in unity and thanksgiving that Christ was raised on the third day.

The fact that so much debate is centered on the literal body and blood of Christ, certainly attests to the mystery.

I don’t understand why some denominations would partake only once a month or less.

 

[Free]

So Free, if a Church does not practice Communion, you believe that the person attending the Church should leave the Church? Should the person just leave or should they talk with the Pastor about it first? Figure out why it's not practiced?

As was stated by others, I think it depends on the situation. For instance, a church I once attended didn't practice communion because they wanted it to be done in the home. That church is no longer around, for a variety of reasons, but perhaps the lack of practice of communion was idicative of something more.

If a church teaches that it ought to be done at home and therefore there is no need to do it in church, that is fine, I guess, but communion is something that ought to be done and how do you keep the entire church accountable to that. There will always be people who won't do it at home so they should at least have some opportunity at church.

I would recommend always talking to the pastor if leaving a church for whatever reason, even if it is blatant false teaching.

Through most of history and even most of Christianity today, believe that communion is the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. That He did not say, "this is like my Body", but that "this is my Body".

Firstly, similies use "like" or "as" but metaphors don't. Secondly, the interesting thing is that he was alive, prior to his death no less, when he said that, so they obviously couldn't be his actual body and blood. What do you think of cutting out your eyes and cutting off your hands when they cause you to sin? Was Jesus speaking literally or metaphorically?

At my Church we do communion the first Sunday of the month. Its never the same. The Pastors change it up everytime so it does not turn into a religious affair.

But even Paul states that it was something passed on to him from Jesus, so there is obviously continuity or similarity there in the way it was practised. I think one of the biggest mistakes of Evangelcalism is the rejection of "tradition" or "religion" based on a false distinction between those ideas and "a personal relationship with Christ". Tradition brings a "rootedness" to Christian belief that ties one to all of Christian history.


Having said all that, I think that Evangelicalism has lightened the meaning and significance all too much. It is for rememberance, that is not in question, but I believe it goes beyond that. Evangelicalism has settled for "Eucharist light".

Just my thoughts.

 

[stovebolts]

Hey Atonement,

I go to a baptist Church and I notice they do Communion every other month, for a remembrance.

Why for just a remembrance?
1 Corinthians 11:24-25

And why only every other month
1 Corinthians 11:26 For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.


I love Luke's account :D Here's a snipit.

Luke 22:16 For I tell you, unI will not eat it again til it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.â€Â

Luke 24:30 When he had taken his place at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 24:31 At this point their eyes were opened and they recognized him. Then he vanished out of their sight.

Interesting... He would not eat of it until when?
Now, What did he just do in chapter 24 :wink:

Go back and read Luke 22-24 with this in mind.
It's time to celebrate!

 

[mutzrein]

And I say Hallelujah to that!

 

[Free]

Luke 22:16 For I tell you, unI will not eat it again til it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.â€Â

Luke 24:30 When he had taken his place at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 24:31 At this point their eyes were opened and they recognized him. Then he vanished out of their sight.

Interesting... He would not eat of it until when?
Now, What did he just do in chapter 24

Maybe I missed the point you were making but there is no mention of Jesus eating in Luke 24:31. It simply says that he broke the bread, gave it to them, and then vanished.

 

[stray bullet]

Through most of history and even most of Christianity today, believe that communion is the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. That He did not say, "this is like my Body", but that "this is my Body".

Firstly, similies use "like" or "as" but metaphors don't. Secondly, the interesting thing is that he was alive, prior to his death no less, when he said that, so they obviously couldn't be his actual body and blood. What do you think of cutting out your eyes and cutting off your hands when they cause you to sin? Was Jesus speaking literally or metaphorically? .

I find it dangerous to take a word in the bible as simple as 'is' and suggest it in fact, does not mean 'is'. This is clearly not a case of hyperbole, as in the case of removing hands. Just like the original disciples, people still can not believe His words... and now they suggest, He didn't really mean them that way. Jesus wouldn't confuse someone to push them away from the faith.

Jesus was alive at the time and He's alive now. His Body was resurrected.

 

[Atonement]

StoveBolts,

I could have elaborated on every issue on why my Church partakes in communion, but the main focus here was for remembrance. Of course there are other reasons..

For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

I know this verse, yep I say my prayers before each meal..