Communion Bread

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

Does anyone actually prefer the tasteless wafers or oyster crackers to the real bread you sometimes see?

Ten times out of ten I prefer this...

...to these:

And, I think it's more liturgically and theologically appropriate to have members of the community actually making the bread and bringing it forward at the offering (or during a pre-service Matins or liturgy of preparation).

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Does anyone actually prefer the tasteless wafers or oyster crackers to the real bread you sometimes see?

Ten times out of ten I prefer this...

Only with pepperoni, cheese and mushrooms on top.


.

 

[Thekla]

I am partial to this of course

It is made by members of our community (and our youth also learn how to make it as part of their 'catechism', which is wonderful).

 

[mont974x4]

I prefer to make my own unleavened bread, but its been awhile. I also prefer to use wine, but that looks like it'll be a family Communion only deal for quite some time.

 

[Chesterton]

Real bread and real wine only here. Just say no to Christianity "lite".

 

[ViaCrucis]

Before moving, my church used real bread (leavened); at my current church we use wafers. I'm definitely more partial to real bread. But who am I to complain in what form I receive the true body of our Lord Jesus Christ? True flesh of Christ, crucified, broken, and risen again for my eternal salvation.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ebia]

So long as it's not sliced blunderloaf cut into little cubes...

 

[ViaCrucis]

Back when I was in high school our youth group served "Communion" with Doritos and Pepsi.

I think as long as we can avoid using cheese-flavored corn chips and artificially flavored fizzy water, we're doing pretty good.

Also, kind of makes the whole leavened v. unleavened argument seem to have a bit more perspective.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[katherine2001]

The Orthodox bread used for Communion is called phosphora. It can be seen here:

http://www.prosphora.org/

If you pull up George's Phosphora Recipe, it looks like the ones used in my parish.

Some of the Orthodox churches use the big ones seen there, while those in the Russian tradition make 5 smaller ones that the priest uses. You use a seal to make those marks on the top. In my parish, there are classes to learn how to bake it and those who know take turns baking it for a month at a time. It tastes really good too! The part with the seal is what gets put in the chalice for the Eucharist. The rest is cut up and given to the congregation when they come up to kiss the cross at the end of the liturgy.

 

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

Before moving, my church used real bread (leavened); at my current church we use wafers. I'm definitely more partial to real bread. But who am I to complain in what form I receive the true body of our Lord Jesus Christ? True flesh of Christ, crucified, broken, and risen again for my eternal salvation.

-CryptoLutheran

Oh, don't be so Lutheran!

 

[Andres88]

Praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui.

 

[Willie T]

I suspect if we are honest with ourselves, it is hard to justify not using a piece of bread "broken, and given" as Jesus actually did it.

I don't think the Christian Bakery delivered manufactured wafers to the area of Jerusalem where they celebrated that meal.

 

[Kristos]

Real bread

 

[Gnarwhal]

Back when I was in high school our youth group served "Communion" with Doritos and Pepsi.

I think my soul vomited a little...

 

[PaladinValer]

I personally appreciate the theology found in both leavened and unleavened bread: Jesus is the New Leaven but the unleavened reminds us of how the ritual/holiness code was nailed to the cross and also the extreme humility of Christ.

My parish does use wheat pita bread during Lent. Otherwise, we use traditional Western wafers.

 

[Rhamiel]

it is my understanding that the wafer was started in the Middle Ages, large thin pieces of bread were used in feasts to help grab chunks of meat out of stews or large roasts
kind of like how we use tortillas or pita bread now

I like the wafer, that is what I am used to
it is made out of flour, it is "real" bread
if I grew up with a different style of bread, I would probably prefer that
lol it is just whatever you are used to

 

[Willie T]

Originally Posted by ViaCrucis
Back when I was in high school our youth group served "Communion" with Doritos and Pepsi.

I think my soul vomited a little...

And I think mine thrilled a little at the beautiful liberty God brings to religion.

 

[PaladinValer]

And I think mine thrilled a little at the beautiful liberty God brings to religion.

How is that liberty "Godly"?

What is the point of using nasty cheesy chips* and soda-pop?

*A bit hypocritical of me to say since I used to love Doritos when I was a teen, but now, blech.

 

[ptomwebster]

Back when I was in high school our youth group served "Communion" with Doritos and Pepsi.

I think as long as we can avoid using cheese-flavored corn chips and artificially flavored fizzy water, we're doing pretty good.

Also, kind of makes the whole leavened v. unleavened argument seem to have a bit more perspective.

-CryptoLutheran

Coffee and a plain donut hole.

 

[ViaCrucis]

And I think mine thrilled a little at the beautiful liberty God brings to religion.

We obviously have very different notions of what constitutes liberty. I believe liberty is found in a Galilean carpenter who, being God and Man, offers Himself to the world on the cross, thereby destroying the power of sin and death and liberating sinners, freeing them to be called children of God. And in that liberty invites us to be fellows and partakers of God's good work to minister to the helpless, without the vain strictures of empty moralism and legalism--but to be free.

What we do in the church--how we worship and pray--communicates what we believe. If you sing lousy church music with lame theology, you're teaching lame theology; if you pray lousy prayers with lame theology, you're teaching lame theology; and if you present God's Word and Sacraments in a lame way you are informing and teaching a lame theology.

Lex orandi, lex credendi. The Church believes what it prays (sings, does, etc).

If one wants to preach that the Table of Jesus Christ is nothing but a token ritual without real significance beyond individualized I-feel-spiritual-ness, then perhaps cheese flavored corn chips and sugar water is fine.

But I believe the Table is Christ the Lord offering Himself, body and blood, true and really, to take us and bring us into fellowship with His Cross, breaking into our lives to crucify our sin, declare forgiveness, and drag us out from the death and misery of this world into the light and joy of His mercy and grace. I really don't care whether one uses leavened or unleavened bread, whether the bread is made from wheat or barley or rye, whether one uses the common cup, dips, spoons, or individual cups; nor do I care whether you use red wine, white whine, or Welch's. But I do believe that using junk food as a way to appeal to some "coolness" factor misses the point entirely.

-CryptoLutheran