Fruit of the Vine

[LiturgyInDMinor]

I was wondering about communion today.
I participated in my first PCA communion service a couple of sundays ago.
It was grape juice.

When I was a member of the SBC..the pastor had an entire 40 minute sermon of the whole we are "teetotalers" thing...and justified it all with the typical passages in the bible that wine as we know it today didn't exist back then, etc. Pure legalism IMHO without any basis of reality.

What's the typical Presbyterian position on this? Just out of curiousity. Is wine ever used in the PCA or any presby churches? Does it matter?(IMHO no! but a great discussion topic it seems on MANY forums here at CF.) As a former Roman Catholic...it was indeed red wine in the chalice during communion. I grew up with that.
I know in the SBC due to their resolution of alcohol abstinence(pure legalism IMHO!!!!) motivated my former pastor to preach that sermon(available on DVD and that church's website btw!) Although after I confronted him on it...he did believe every word he preached...so he was on board before they passed the "alcohol is evil" resolution. Not busting on the SBC...just stating facts.


Thanks for the fellowship and any answers.

 

[kenrapoza]

What's the typical Presbyterian position on this? Just out of curiousity. Is wine ever used in the PCA or any presby churches? Does it matter?

Most definitely! The first PCA church I visited used both wine and grape juice during communion, you could choose one. The PCA church I attend now uses grape juice only because wine is not allowed in the facility. As soon as we get our own building, we will be using wine during communion. One of the great blessings at church is that we celebrate the Lord's Supper every Sunday!

As a side note, my experience in the PCA so far is that they are much more into Christian liberty than some other groups, such as the SBC. They don't believe in binding the consciences of men where Scripture does not speak. Whenever the men in our church get together for fellowship (which is usually at least once per month), we always relax and chat over some beers. Usually we have cigars too. Presbyterians nowadays usually don't go down the whole "alcohol is evil" road which has its roots in the temperance movement.

 

[LiturgyInDMinor]

The PCA church I attend it's the first Sunday of every month.

They don't believe in binding the consciences of men where Scripture does not speak.

One of the many reasons I left the SBC.

 

[Cajun Huguenot]

We take communion every Sunday and have wine (only) in communion. The fact that grape juice is used at all shows a serious error in thought of the 19th century evangelical churches.

Dr. Welch, a Methodist, made grape juice "communion" possible in the 1860's when he used pasturization to keep grape juice from fermenting. Grape Juice is based on error.

Coram Deo,
Kenith