Frequency of Communion

Christian ethics and theology with an Anabaptist perspective
Z_DC
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Re: Frequency of Communion

Post by Z_DC »

I've always tried to take Communion at least once a year since the first Lord's supper was linked directly to Passover which was an annual occurrence. I'm assuming the two Mennonite churches of which I've been a member hold it twice a year in case someone misses the spring Communion when Passover would normally occur.
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Sudsy
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Re: Frequency of Communion

Post by Sudsy »

KingdomBuilder wrote:
Sudsy wrote: But if the referral in scripture 'to break bread' means 'to celebrate the Lord's Supper' then a text like Acts 20:7 would suggest this practise was weekly.
On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.
My church (and I'm sure others that practice weekly communion) would agree.
The elders in my congregation will cite "..in remembrance of me" as the reason for weekly communion. We don't remember Jesus and his deeds just one service a year, it's every time. This also ensures that the birth, death, life, and resurrection will be preached each and every week, which is good if a visitor is passing through.
Very interesting to me. Is this an Anabaptist church ? Also, would this be a practise at the end of each sermon or when in the service does it take place ?

And another question for all, do any of your churches use real wine rather than grape juice ?
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KingdomBuilder
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Re: Frequency of Communion

Post by KingdomBuilder »

Sudsy wrote:
KB wrote:My church (and I'm sure others that practice weekly communion) would agree.
The elders in my congregation will cite "..in remembrance of me" as the reason for weekly communion. We don't remember Jesus and his deeds just one service a year, it's every time. This also ensures that the birth, death, life, and resurrection will be preached each and every week, which is good if a visitor is passing through.
Very interesting to me. Is this an Anabaptist church ? Also, would this be a practise at the end of each sermon or when in the service does it take place ?
This is not an Anabaptist church (would be nice if it were :D ). We are a Disciples of Christ (DOC) congregation. A sister movement of the Church of Christ- both Restorationist in origin.
The Supper takes place between the hymn-singing and the sermon.Our service would go like this: Prayer, hymn singing, prayer, more hymns, blessings/ concerns expressed, prayer, Supper, silent time/ offering, doxology, sermon.
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Sudsy
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Re: Frequency of Communion

Post by Sudsy »

KingdomBuilder wrote:
Sudsy wrote:
KB wrote:My church (and I'm sure others that practice weekly communion) would agree.
The elders in my congregation will cite "..in remembrance of me" as the reason for weekly communion. We don't remember Jesus and his deeds just one service a year, it's every time. This also ensures that the birth, death, life, and resurrection will be preached each and every week, which is good if a visitor is passing through.
Very interesting to me. Is this an Anabaptist church ? Also, would this be a practise at the end of each sermon or when in the service does it take place ?
This is not an Anabaptist church (would be nice if it were :D ). We are a Disciples of Christ (DOC) congregation. A sister movement of the Church of Christ- both Restorationist in origin.
The Supper takes place between the hymn-singing and the sermon.Our service would go like this: Prayer, hymn singing, prayer, more hymns, blessings/ concerns expressed, prayer, Supper, silent time/ offering, doxology, sermon.
Sounds like a service I would really enjoy. Perhaps someday I can visit one. Is this a closed or open communion church ?
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KingdomBuilder
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Re: Frequency of Communion

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Sudsy wrote:Sounds like a service I would really enjoy. Perhaps someday I can visit one. Is this a closed or open communion church ?
Open. "This is God's table, and it is open to all who seek it" is the typical rhetoric prior to the Supper by the pastor.
Do note, overall DOC is COCs more liberal sister, and many in certain areas are unacceptably liberal. Congregations vary greatly though, so they function independently. All here are about like COC, but with a piano :mrgreen:
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Josh
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Re: Frequency of Communion

Post by Josh »

Old German Baptist Brethren always use real wine. Typically a brother will gather the grapes and ferment the wine himself.

Plow Creek (a member of Illinois Conference and MC USA) used grapes they grew themselves and squeezed themselves for their monthly communion - not alcoholic tho.
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Re: Frequency of Communion

Post by Soloist »

I would wonder if it really mattered to be wine would not everything matter to be specifically how it was done?

And of course the logical course of that is... "things aren't clear, lets look at the early church and follow them"

So if we go off of them, we need to have it be water mixed with wine since water would be communion with just us, and wine would be without us only Christ. I laughed when I first saw that.
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Re: Frequency of Communion

Post by JimFoxvog »

Josh wrote:Plow Creek (a member of Illinois Conference and MC USA) used grapes they grew themselves and squeezed themselves for their monthly communion - not alcoholic tho.
Actually, at Plow Creek, we'd juice the grapes with a steamer, not squeeze them. When I lead communion, I'd use flour I made from our own wheat for the unleavened bread; breads used varied widely.
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gcdonner
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Re: Frequency of Communion

Post by gcdonner »

Sudsy wrote:
CADude wrote:In the church I attend it's once a year after a series of I think incorrectly named "revival meetings". I don't know how or when it was determined (it's been this way for a really long time) but I do know that it has to do with a sincere desire to be properly prepared and make sure we do no violate 1 Cor. 11:27-29 about drinking of the cup unworthily. It is my personal opinion that we have perhaps taken these scriptures a bit too seriously (if such is possible) but I'm not going to go into any detail on that. Having said that, in general, brotherly accountability is lacking in the Christian realm today and I find it difficult to fault a sincere effort to keep that in place, which is what I see where I worship. So I'm not complaining about it.
If interested a separate thread could be used to discuss what this 'being unworthy' is about and the seriousness of what is said in this text about taking communion in a way the the Lord does not approve. Imo, context here is very important.
We had done this back on Mennodiscuss (was that another universe?). I find that most Christians have a lack of understanding of the purpose of communion, and also it's importance. Too often it is made into a "test" of fellowship, which, imo, totally misses the point. I would enjoy entering a discussion on the purpose of communion again. It is one of the most important things we can share and experience as believers together, along with footwashing, which is missing in most of Christianity.
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gcdonner
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Re: Frequency of Communion

Post by gcdonner »

Sudsy wrote:Thanks for all the sharing on the frequency this is observed. To explore it further -

Seems this is another one of those observances not specifically spelled out in the NT regarding frequency but is referred to in other documents like the Didache. But if the referral in scripture 'to break bread' means 'to celebrate the Lord's Supper' then a text like Acts 20:7 would suggest this practise was weekly.
On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.
With regard to it becoming too commonplace, are we worried about praying too frequently or reading the Bible too much or keeping safe with less frequent biblical preaching ? These can become rote also but not necessarily due to frequency.

It would seem to me that more often we keep ourselves reminded of the cross the better. If the early church weekly celebrated the Lord's Supper and also washed one another's feet daily as they visited each other, I tend to think they experienced a dimension of fellowship and relationship with God and other believers quite beyond what we do in our few or single observances of these a year.
I don't think the early church viewed it the same way that we do. Regarding the passage quoted above from Acts, it is very possible that the reference there is to the agape meal and not necessarily to communion. They didn't always go hand in hand. We now call the agape meal a "fellowship" meal in most circles. I appreciate the focus of the Old German Baptists encompassing the whole, though I don't agree with closed communion anymore. (I once did...)
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