I got this question from someone recently regarding communion in the relational church and thought others might appreciate a bit of focus on this as well…
I’m working with a friend on a book about communion. His opening line in that book is, “For the first 300 years in the history of the life of the church no one ever conceived of sharing the Lord’s Table at any place other than the household dinning room table.” And he is a Methodist Pastor that believes in all that high church stuff!
Amazing, isn’t it? We can’t conceive of being served anywhere but in a ‘service,’ the early believers couldn’t imagine serving it anywhere but in a home around a table. Some think a shared meal with other believers is the Lord’s Table, not a cup of juice or bread. Some incorporate the cup and bread into the regular meal. That’s what Sara and I enjoy doing. Sometimes our home group will share it together and some time we just do it when believers have joined us for a meal and evening of fellowship.I’ve even had it at an Outback Restaurant once. I had stopped at the restaurant to meet some folks who wanted to talk with me about their own journey. As the ten of us got situated around the table our host asked the waitress to bring us a glass of red wine and a dinner roll, and we broke the bread and shared the cup before we ordered from the menu. It was so simple and helped us fix Jesus as the center of our evening and the conversation.
And when we celebrate his presence as his people, I enjoy seeing it a bit like a toast. We don’t need formal prayers or a specific liturgy. A brief prayer sanctifying our hearts to him and focusing on the meaning he invested in those elements in the first serving with his disciples is more than enough. Then I like it when someone lifts the cup, and says something that honors the one whom our souls love. Such as, “To the King of the Ages, in gratefulness for his work in us…”
Over the past year The Lord has opened my eyes and expanded my thinking regarding communion. I find celebrating the Lord’s supper over a meal with family and/or friends very special.
In linking His death and resurection to the cup and bread, Jesus attached the most spiritually powerful event of all time to eating, the most carnal event we do each day. When you think about it, eating carries virtually no spiritual benefit; Food for the body and the body for food. Many of us are so addicted to food it is actually a spiritual stronghold in our lives. We would find it strange if not incredibly difficult to skip a meal. Then Jesus comes and says "do this in rememberance of me". Do what in rememberance of Him? The answer is, take the bread and the cup in rememberance of Him. Well, Don’t we have some sort of bread and some sort of drink (cup) everytime we eat.
Every time we eat a meal we have the potential to remember His broken body and shed blood. What would be the spiritual ramifications if evertime we eat a meal it becomes a time for "communion" with the Lord. As I eat my sandwich I am remembering my Lord’s broken body, and when I drink my drink I am drinking unto the Lord in remberance of His sacrifice. Three Squares a day plus snacks this way will make for a very healthy devotional life, I think.
Bless you all.
Over the past year The Lord has opened my eyes and expanded my thinking regarding communion. I find celebrating the Lord’s supper over a meal with family and/or friends very special.
In linking His death and resurection to the cup and bread, Jesus attached the most spiritually powerful event of all time to eating, the most carnal event we do each day. When you think about it, eating carries virtually no spiritual benefit; Food for the body and the body for food. Many of us are so addicted to food it is actually a spiritual stronghold in our lives. We would find it strange if not incredibly difficult to skip a meal. Then Jesus comes and says "do this in rememberance of me". Do what in rememberance of Him? The answer is, take the bread and the cup in rememberance of Him. Well, Don’t we have some sort of bread and some sort of drink (cup) everytime we eat.
Every time we eat a meal we have the potential to remember His broken body and shed blood. What would be the spiritual ramifications if evertime we eat a meal it becomes a time for "communion" with the Lord. As I eat my sandwich I am remembering my Lord’s broken body, and when I drink my drink I am drinking unto the Lord in remberance of His sacrifice. Three Squares a day plus snacks this way will make for a very healthy devotional life, I think.
Bless you all.
It is interesting that someone has asked you about this. I have often wondered what Jesus meant us to do for the Lord’s Supper. I haven’t taken part for about 12 years but I have thought it was meant to be something we were to do at a meal. I thought that if it was something that was important Jesus would have shown me a way. This is the first time I have heard it discussed.
It is interesting that someone has asked you about this. I have often wondered what Jesus meant us to do for the Lord’s Supper. I haven’t taken part for about 12 years but I have thought it was meant to be something we were to do at a meal. I thought that if it was something that was important Jesus would have shown me a way. This is the first time I have heard it discussed.
Hi Wayne and all!
So glad you’ve addressed this subject in such a down to earth fashion! I too came to realize just a few years ago how precious it is to remember Him at every meal.
I was raised in a fellowship which "had communion" on a monthly basis "administered" by the pastor. Then we spent a number of years in another that "broke bread" every "Lord’s Day". Others do it annually or quarterly.
I like to think of it this way: If I am to examine myself each time before I take the Lord’s supper and deal with any outstanding issues (repentance toward God, or reconciliation/restitution with a brother or sister I have wronged….how do the above practices (relative to communion) work themselves out in practice?
If we have communion annually and I have a "falling out" with my brother after the communion service, I have a year within which to deal with the issue.
If we do it quarterly, I have 3 months.
If monthly, I have 30 days.
If weekly, I have 7 days to get right with my God or my brother.
But if I remember my Lord and the price of my redemption at Calvary every time I eat a meal, I only have a few hours. If it’s not made right, I should not be eating and professing I am doing so in remembrance of the one who died for me!
It’s a constant reminder to "keep short accounts" and to live in the enjoyment of fellowship with Father!
Hi Wayne and all!
So glad you’ve addressed this subject in such a down to earth fashion! I too came to realize just a few years ago how precious it is to remember Him at every meal.
I was raised in a fellowship which "had communion" on a monthly basis "administered" by the pastor. Then we spent a number of years in another that "broke bread" every "Lord’s Day". Others do it annually or quarterly.
I like to think of it this way: If I am to examine myself each time before I take the Lord’s supper and deal with any outstanding issues (repentance toward God, or reconciliation/restitution with a brother or sister I have wronged….how do the above practices (relative to communion) work themselves out in practice?
If we have communion annually and I have a "falling out" with my brother after the communion service, I have a year within which to deal with the issue.
If we do it quarterly, I have 3 months.
If monthly, I have 30 days.
If weekly, I have 7 days to get right with my God or my brother.
But if I remember my Lord and the price of my redemption at Calvary every time I eat a meal, I only have a few hours. If it’s not made right, I should not be eating and professing I am doing so in remembrance of the one who died for me!
It’s a constant reminder to "keep short accounts" and to live in the enjoyment of fellowship with Father!
When we first started "house church" we did traditional communion in the circle of the living room, interesting that many times Christ’s presence became more real as we gathered around the table to eat and invited Him to Feast In Fellowship with us….The clincher for us was when one among us declined communion in the ceremonial way ..we later found out because she was with child and not married …as we gathered to eat and share and speak blessing over her she asked if she could have communion with us and we observed it again for her sake but realized we already had entered into the spirit of what Christ originated! Be Blessed
When we first started "house church" we did traditional communion in the circle of the living room, interesting that many times Christ’s presence became more real as we gathered around the table to eat and invited Him to Feast In Fellowship with us….The clincher for us was when one among us declined communion in the ceremonial way ..we later found out because she was with child and not married …as we gathered to eat and share and speak blessing over her she asked if she could have communion with us and we observed it again for her sake but realized we already had entered into the spirit of what Christ originated! Be Blessed
Thank you and praise God for this opportunity to share about eating Christ. God can go deep when we receive our food as His body and our drink as His blood.
As we stop to ponder His complete work in healing and salvation, by faith we receive this completion within when we eat of Him.
The food that sustains us in the natural, when received in the spirit, becomes a part of us as supernatural life sustaining…
You might say it is our physical connection to His Spirit…
John 6:57 b … So he that eats me shall live by me.
And remember John 6:66 (666!) says, From that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him.
Thank you and praise God for this opportunity to share about eating Christ. God can go deep when we receive our food as His body and our drink as His blood.
As we stop to ponder His complete work in healing and salvation, by faith we receive this completion within when we eat of Him.
The food that sustains us in the natural, when received in the spirit, becomes a part of us as supernatural life sustaining…
You might say it is our physical connection to His Spirit…
John 6:57 b … So he that eats me shall live by me.
And remember John 6:66 (666!) says, From that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him.
Thank you for your comments Wayne–and I really liked what you had to share too Todd. For me communion is a very personal thing–a one on one with the Lord rather than a communal thing. And I experience it daily in many forms.
I see the words spoken by our Lord at the Passover meal, first as an announcement of what He was going to do on the Cross for us and the introduction to the New Covenant, and secondly as a call and an example for His children to follow.
The example of the cross is one of giving to the point of death, both physical and spiritual as our Lord cleansed us with His blool and then endured the penalty/punishment (separation from the Father) in our stead.
I believe that when we give of ourselves to others (in whatever way the Spirit leads us), we experience a real communion with our Lord and truly sup with Him. I see this in John 4:34: "my food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." NIV
In 1 Cor 11:26, Paul focuses on another aspect of the sharing of the bread and wine when he says: "you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes" In other words, proclaim the Gospel. What the breaking of His body and the pouring out of His blood brought for all men. And that is the Good News isn’t it?
In His Name,
Rose Mary
Thank you for your comments Wayne–and I really liked what you had to share too Todd. For me communion is a very personal thing–a one on one with the Lord rather than a communal thing. And I experience it daily in many forms.
I see the words spoken by our Lord at the Passover meal, first as an announcement of what He was going to do on the Cross for us and the introduction to the New Covenant, and secondly as a call and an example for His children to follow.
The example of the cross is one of giving to the point of death, both physical and spiritual as our Lord cleansed us with His blool and then endured the penalty/punishment (separation from the Father) in our stead.
I believe that when we give of ourselves to others (in whatever way the Spirit leads us), we experience a real communion with our Lord and truly sup with Him. I see this in John 4:34: "my food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." NIV
In 1 Cor 11:26, Paul focuses on another aspect of the sharing of the bread and wine when he says: "you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes" In other words, proclaim the Gospel. What the breaking of His body and the pouring out of His blood brought for all men. And that is the Good News isn’t it?
In His Name,
Rose Mary