grace4u: What’s the deal with communion?

What’s the deal with communion?

Every denomination in the world celebrates communion with few exceptions; so what’s the deal? Why do we place so much trust or faith or “regulations” on an act that happen thousands of years ago? Several churches lay claim to this celebration, err uh remembrance, err uh, memorial, err uh sacrament, err uh ordinance? Which is it? What is an ordinance?

An authoritative command or order. A custom or practice established by long usage. A Christian rite, especially the Eucharist. A statute or regulation, especially one enacted by a city government.[1]

What is a sacrament?

Augustine of Hippo defined a Christian sacrament as "a visible sign of an invisible reality." A sacrament is a religious symbol or often a rite which conveys divine grace, blessing, or sanctity upon the believer who participates in it, or a tangible symbol which represents an intangible reality; examples include baptism and communion.[2]

I see some similarities there don’t you? So, which is it?

Well obvisouly in the new testament, we see the church gathering for a special purpose, communion espeically in Acts and Paul’s instructions to the Corithinians. Of course throughout our Christian heritage many theologies exist more especially of who can or can’t “partake” of communion even in prostestant churches!

Prostestants? Regulations? Huh? Yep, in many baptist traditions only baptized members of that particular church may partake; including some Lutheran and Presbyterian Churches. Why? Well cuz God just might come down and kill you! Or give you cancer or some other illness.

Many prostestant churches have “open” communion, meaning anyone in the house can partake; although sometimes in some fellowships or denominations you may have a stern warning about being worthy(better meet the age requirement as well). Yes, we must be worthy of this “symbol” which generally is most of us prostestant folks consider communion; only a symbol.

If it’s only a symbol then why a warning? Why do I have to be a member of a particular church if it’s just a “symbol”. You ever wonder what we could be doing with communion rather than employing thoughts of how to exclude others for any reason from it?

In my faith, nothing is more meaningful, more Jesus, than Holy Communion. My congregation knows this especially when we celebrate it. I welcome, yes welcome the stranger to sit down with Jesus at His table and eat; I welcome the sinner to sit down with Jesus and drink. Just as Jesus welcomed me into His arms the first time I met Him and poured his grace over my soul; like the blood that poured on the altar in the hebrew scriptures. If Christ is truly present in our lives as Christians, as the body of Christ; how much more would Christ be present at His own table?

If Jesus is not present then it’s just bread and juice[3]; then there should be no “requirement”. If Jesus is truly present in the bread and juice, there is more there than simply some bread and juice; what we have is the real presence of God through Jesus Christ visible in the bread and juice, along with His mercy and grace, thus there should be no requirements.

A congregant once told me that “Communion is what you have right in front of you!”, how right he is!