How often to have the Lord's supper.

[HermanNeutics13]

I was wondering how often your church does the Lord's supper. I support doing it every Sunday. My Dad's a pastor and he prefers to do it that way and it makes sense. Why wouldn't you have it every Sunday? Some people say it becomes less special then. But like my professor Dr. Rod Rosenbladt says, that would be like tell your wife you love her once and not again because it wouldn't be as special.

 

[QuiltAngel]

My husband serves a dual parish. Each one celebrates the Lord's Supper once a month. Sometimes you will find me attending both. Every time I have the chance to received Christ's body and blood I will receive it. I don't think you can receive it too often.

I have seen those who won't go to the table if it is offered more than once a week. I personally don't get it. We sin daily, we should want to receive as often as we can.

 

[LilLamb219]

Our Late Service on Sunday has Holy Communion every Sunday. The Early Service on Sunday and the Saturday evening service alternate between Holy Communion and Matins/Vespers. So if Saturday has Holy Communion the early service will have Matins that week.

 

[alexnbethmom]

we have Holy Communion every Sunday.

 

[Tangible]

It seems to be normal around here to have communion every other Sunday. I think a lot of pastors would like to go to every Sunday, but surprisingly to me there is a lot of resistance in the congregations. I don't understand it either.

 

[DaRev]

We have it every Sunday. It used to be twice a month until about a year and a half ago. Our Confessions teach that we are to celebrate the Lord's Supper on every Lord's day and other feast days so that those who desire it can partake. No one is required to receive it every week, but it's not right to deny it to those who desire it weekly.

 

[HermanNeutics13]

I would like to hear people's reasons why they don't think it should be done every Sunday. After all Jesus said, "Do this as often as you drink it."

 

[QuiltAngel]

I would like to hear people's reasons why they don't think it should be done every Sunday. After all Jesus said, "Do this as often as you drink it."

The only reason I have really heard is what you posted in your OP.

I would prefer it every week also. Other than that, I don't really know why more don't do it every Sunday.

 

[Lprdgecko]

We have it every Sunday (unless Pastor is out of town). The church I attend while at college has it every other Sunday. However, they will be getting a new pastor soon (the former pastor was elected to a District position), so that may change.

 

[neen1]

My church alternates between the service that has the Lord's Supper. The first and third Sunday it's at the early service and the second and fourth Sunday it's at the late service. If there is a fifth Sunday, they have have it at either service. I think they have it once a month at the Saturday service. They also have it during the school year at the chapel once a month.

 

[cerette]

One time I heard the explanation that that particular congregation didn't have communion every Sunday so that there would be Sundays when they could invite friends and newbies without them having to experience the practice of closed communion during their first visit.

 

[Aibrean]

Ours is weekly. Last week's was real interesting. The service ended with me having partaken of only half the sacrament (the pastor accidentally skipped me with the chalice...I think he thought I had a cup in my hand). I had to wait until the service was over to receive the rest.

 

[Tangible]

One time I heard the explanation that that particular congregation didn't have communion every Sunday so that there would be Sundays when they could invite friends and newbies without them having to experience the practice of closed communion during their first visit.

Orthopraxy is not seeker-sensitive.

 

[Moses Medina]

Ours is weekly. Last week's was real interesting. The service ended with me having partaken of only half the sacrament (the pastor accidentally skipped me with the chalice...I think he thought I had a cup in my hand). I had to wait until the service was over to receive the rest.

Ours is weekly too and we have a common cup and the little cups. This has happened to me before as well.

 

[Tangible]

Our new church seems to only use individual cups.

 

[twin.spin]

I was wondering how often your church does the Lord's supper. I support doing it every Sunday. My Dad's a pastor and he prefers to do it that way and it makes sense. Why wouldn't you have it every Sunday? Some people say it becomes less special then. But like my professor Dr. Rod Rosenbladt says, that would be like tell your wife you love her once and not again because it wouldn't be as special.

It's called adiaphora which is why churches do what they do
No offense to Dr. Rod Rosenbladt, that's streching it to make a point.

Using that mentality, then is communion only meant for the married but not for the single person?

We have it every Sunday. It used to be twice a month until about a year and a half ago. Our Confessions teach that we are to celebrate the Lord's Supper on every Lord's day and other feast days so that those who desire it can partake. No one is required to receive it every week, but it's not right to deny it to those who desire it weekly.

So when it was every other week ... were there people denying you from doing private distributions ... as inconvenient it may have been?

 

[HermanNeutics13]

One time I heard the explanation that that particular congregation didn't have communion every Sunday so that there would be Sundays when they could invite friends and newbies without them having to experience the practice of closed communion during their first visit.

That sort of makes sense but it also sort of seems like a cowards way out. Wouldn't it be more beneficial to explain to the guest why we don't practice open communion? Yes some will find it offensive but it has to do with honesty.

It's called adiaphora which is why churches do what they do
No offense to Dr. Rod Rosenbladt, that's streching it to make a point.

Using that mentality, then is communion only meant for the married but not for the single person?

Communion itself isn't adiaphora which is why we don't practice open communion. If you just mean how often, technically I do believe the LCMS's official position is to have it every week just many churches don't adhere to it. The marriage thing was just an analogy I wasn't saying only married people can have it.

 

[alexnbethmom]

So when it was every other week ... were there people denying you from doing private distributions ... as inconvenient it may have been?

no, and if anybody had asked for private distribution he would have done it gladly. exactly what is your point in asking this?

 

[DaRev]

So when it was every other week ... were there people denying you from doing private distributions ... as inconvenient it may have been?

The Lord's Supper is administered as part of the Divine Service as the Confessions teach. Why have private administrations when it can be done during the Divine Service?

 

[twin.spin]

no, and if anybody had asked for private distribution he would have done it gladly. exactly what is your point in asking this?

This is the point, the presumption that by doing it bi-weekly was .... "but it's not right to deny it to those who desire it weekly."

I have done many of word searches and I've yet to read any such thing from the Bible where it specifically says that bi-weekly was the act of denying someone else and thus it wasn't right.