Help-need some infomation

[Gkbarnes]

Hi

I have heard the Salvation Army doesn't "do" Communion.

What I would like to know is what would happen at a joint service or a Christian capm? Would you not take the elements, or do you generally go along with it?

I ask, as after the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity service,, I commented that Communion would have been the icing on the cake, but was told the the Salvation Army people might not like it.

 

[Abiel]

Whilst the icing on the cake comment might not go down well with some, generally you will find that many Salvvationists are delighted to join in with a communion celebration. We are not forbidden from taking communion, we just dont do it in our own context, for historical and some would say, spiritual reasons,

 

[Andy Broadley]

I have always taken communion when given the opportunity.

As Abiel said, we are certainly not forbidden from doing so,

 

[Andy Broadley]

My personal two pennath is this.

While I would not want it to be part of regualr Sunday worship, I would welcome more opportunities to share in a 'faith supper' kind of experience.

 

[Gkbarnes]

Thanks for that. Sorry about the "icing on the cake" comment.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Andy Broadley again.

 

[Andy Broadley]

Thanks for that. Sorry about the "icing on the cake" comment.

​

Don't worry about it Gk.

No offence was meant and none was taken

 

[Abiel]

The 'some people' I refered to are elderly friends- please, believe me, I understand exactly what you meant by it!

 

[Sascha Fitzpatrick]

Gkbarnes,

Our "corps" (church) will probably do communion 2-3 times a year (Christmas, Easter, Prayer Sunday, more often than not). From what I've seen, communion have never been referred to in a negative way by any Salvationists, and the majority will do it (in the context I have seen it used at SA corps).

I would think that it would be very rare to find an SA that would have a problem with communion being part of the service.

Perhaps you could perform it in such a way that each person has to go up and take it themselves, rather than it be handed out - to save embarrassment for those (SA or otherwise) who do not wish to participate.

Sasch

 

[elm0]

Most Salvationists I know are quite happy to take communion. I think that some people get the idea that because Salvation Army soldiers and officers don't consume alcohol, they can't take communion. There are alternatives to wine or port, such as grape juice. I've had communion before using blackcurrant juice and rice crackers. IMO it's not the elements that are important, but what they represent.

 

[Sascha Fitzpatrick]

Sorry - I forgot about the denominations that take alcohol for communion - yeah have a grape juice table!

(From the girl who grew up in denominations where non-alcoholic grape juice was used!)...

Sasch

 

[Gkbarnes]

Thanks everybody for all your help

 

[TheDag]

Sorry - I forgot about the denominations that take alcohol for communion - yeah have a grape juice table!

(From the girl who grew up in denominations where non-alcoholic grape juice was used!)...

and I grew up in a denomination that didn't think wine was strong enough so they use port for communion. Maybe it is because I grew up lutheran I would appreciate communion more frequently at church. We had communion on a church camp recently but don't tend to ever have it at church. Alot of people at church grew up in the army and so it isn't really something they think about.

 

[catlover]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to elm0 again.

 

[nagwalk]

I tend to desire communion whenever the community comes together to reflect on the work of grace and the provisions of the cross.
However, being one raised under authority I will not push it.
We have had communion in church and I would serve in my home with the captains permission.

 

[casper20]

I have been told at my corps that salvation army soldiers cant drink alcohol but aint communion drinkin alcohol.

Why do some corps disagree with that, and i have been faced by many people sayin jesus drank wine so why cant we.

wot do i say back and i have never had any joint fellowship at my corps.

 

[elm0]

Casper, not drinking alcohol does not have to mean not having communion. The corps I attend has communion occassionally, with grape juice instead of wine. Every Baptist church I ever attended before moving to the Army used grape juice too. A lot of Christians in various denominations make the personal choice to not drink alcohol, and because of this a lot of churches do not use alcohol out of respect for the members who have made this choice.

As for the "Jesus drank wine" statement, yes He did, but I don't see how that has anything to do with the SA's position on it. The founders of the Salvation Army had their reasons for stipulating that becoming a soldier meant no more alcohol, and because the SA still ministers to alcoholics, I see no reason to change this. After all, the Bible tells us to not cause a brother to stumble by what we do.

In my opinion, there's a very simple solution for those who wish to drink alcohol... Don't be a soldier.

For those that think being in the Army means you have to be a soldier, this isn't true. I've been attending the SA for over 3 years, I am not a soldier, and have no intentions of becoming one, unless God tells me otherwise. This does not lessen my ability to serve God within my corps.

 

[Amisk]

I was told that the Army served communion in its beginning. I was also told that the last Salvationist to serve communion was Bramwell Booth (son of the founder).

The only reason given me for cutting out communion was that in the early days all churches served fermented wine. Since the Army congregations were often made up of converted drunks, who were often pulled back into the gutters by communion wine, it was felt that it was better not to hold communion services. I don't know if these facts are true or not.

In talking with many Salvationist on the subject of communion I think if the rank and file were given a vote on the issue they would vote the communion practice back into the S.A. doctrine once again.

Since I am not a soldier, I could be wrong, however I'm interested on reading further on this issue.

 

[InTheFlame]

There seem to've been a few factors in cutting out communion and baptism.

One was that the acceptable methods of administering each are hotly debated between denominations... and the SA, being created from people of a number of denominations, probably faced a lot of division about the two.

Another factor was that these 'sacraments' had a tendency to be overemphasised to the point where they became more important to people than personal holiness... and the SA wanted to put the focus of christian life where it was - and is - needed... on holiness. That means living every second for God, not participation in ceremonies.

 

[casper20]

i know i dont drink alcohol coz i understand why but i often get people who are none christians asking me why i dont drink.

I dunno wot to say to them really. They just dont listen to me anymore coz i told them i was a member of the salvation army.

 

[JoshuaCh1v9]

While we are on the sunject of the Army's alcohol rule, you might recall some months ago that we were discussing the situation in France and Italy (and I believe also Spain).

It had been suggested that the rule did not apply in those countries.

I checked up on this with a Colonal of my aquaintance, and it appears that the rule DOES apply, but is not enforced. Wine is considered so much a part of everyday life in these societies that it would have been impossible to enforce the rule.

As for the Army's stance on alcohol and how it is, or is not, observed by it's soldiers, I agree with what was posted back then. Privately, most Salvationists have already made their own decisions about this.