Frequency of Communion

[blessedbe]

Our church(community church) does communion 1st wednesday of every month. We do it on Wednesdays because that is our mid-week service geared towards those who are already christians--like a bible study. We have open communion, meaning you do not have to be a member of our church BUT you do have to be a christian. It's a pretty serious event at our church, with our pastor making sure everyone is spiritually 'ready' to take communion. I like having it once a month myself, I fear personally that if I took communion once a week I wouldn't take it seriously enough, but that is a purely personal thing. I don't think there is any set rule on how often to take it, Jesus said "as often as you do this, do it in remembrance of me"--that's not too specific. Also in Acts it seems to indicate that the new church took communion every single time they met--Acts 2:42 "they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teachings and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer"--when I hear "breaking of bread", I think communion, though I guess it could mean eating, but they were talking about what they were devoting themselves to , not just what they were doing, which to me indicates communion.

 

[BInC]

Not to barge in and answer for BiNC, but how about this?

Luke 22:20
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Thanks, that is the verse I was looking at as I typed my original post. Jesus wanted us to know that he was setting us free from the old law, and now we come to God through Jesus himself, instead of the law.

 

[rhemarob]

The new Pastor in our last church ended the tradition of weekly communion changing it to once a month which caused quite a stir among many but I liked it because communion had become just a ritual we did every Sunday and had lost its meaning in a sense, when it went to once a month it just seemed to mean more.
Our current church does it once a month also, I like it that way.

 

[Iosias]

Hi All,

I was wondering--how often do you think the Church should celebrate communion, and why? Also, should it be open to all believers in Christ, just local Church members, or something else? Can you please provide Biblical support for your viewpoint as well?

In Christ,

Daniel

Once per week...Read Acts!

 

[eightfoot514]

I usually receive the Eucharist every day. To me, it is a wonderful way to start the day to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord. The Bible does not specify anywhere that the Eucharist should be limited to only once a week or once a month. It would seem that once a week was the minimum, but some partook of it daily. Shortly after Christianity was legalized in the Roman Empire, more frequent celebration of the Eucharist was encouraged by the faithful, and many more people began receiving daily.

–Acts 2:42-47 – They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and all things in common. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of hear, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people.
–Acts 20:7 – On the first day of the week when we gathered to break bread...

Remember what Paul said:
1 Corinthians 11:26 - For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Eric

 

[Ave Maria]

Ok, so doesn't Acts 2:42-47 imply that they took part in Communion every single day?

[bible]Acts 2:42-47[/bible]

I'm honestly not sure because according to eightfoot, the Bible says they broke bread every day.

 

[Mary of Bethany]

I grew up a Baptist (Southern Baptist), and we only had the Lord's Supper once a quarter, usually on a Sunday night, as a "Memorial" only.

I am now an Orthodox Christian so the central act of worship each Sunday (and on Feast Days) is the Eucharist (Holy Communion). At least in Orthodoxy, I don't see how receiving Communion weekly could *ever* lose its meaning or be taken lightly, because it is seen as very serious business. Only Orthodox Christians who have prepared by prayer & fasting & recent confession can receive, because we take the warning about not receiving worthily very seriously.

Obviously, it's a very different take on things than the Baptist way I grew up with.

 

[James G.]

We celebrate communion weekly, on Sundays. We consider it to be central to our worship together, the tie brings the worship assembly together. We have celebrated it as part of a Passover meal (this year). That, too, was very meaningful.

I don't struggle with it losing its meaning just because it's weekly. That would seem to me like saying the prayer, singing, etc. lose their meaning because of frequency.

 

[riverpastor]

Anybody here familiar with Smith Wigglesworth? He took communion every morning. Had a powerful healing and deliverance ministry. There's a reportedly 21 people raised from the dead in his ministry.

 

[Monica02]

The Church offers Mass every day of the year except Good Friday. Only those who believe in the true presence and are in a state of grace should receive. I do not think these rules are observed as closely as they shoud be.

 

[Suffolk Sean]

Anybody here familiar with Smith Wigglesworth? He took communion every morning. Had a powerful healing and deliverance ministry. There's a reportedly 21 people raised from the dead in his ministry.

I did not know Smith took communion every morning. But based on what I do know, he did nothing lightly when it came to God. He most likely could have done it hourly and still been extremely reverant of it.

 

[Crispie]

What my church does is every sunday have Communion at the end of the Sermon, someone says a prayer, tells us that this is in remembrace of Jesus, describes what he did for us, and then we all eat the bread and drink some grape juice (in place of wine), and we all do personal prayers to God. After that we take any tithings then do a prayer and church is over!

 

[eightfoot514]

Just curious. Why is grape juice used in place of wine?

 

[Celticflower]

Just curious. Why is grape juice used in place of wine?

Usually because it is cheaper, can be taken by minors without any legal problems, is not a temptation to recovering alcoholics and is inoffensive to those who do not drink for whatever the reason.

Celtie