Lords supper, does it have to be bread and wine?

[MarkRohfrietsch]

Here in the UK, our churches were closed for about a year, due to lockdown. Communion has only been slowly reintroduced, and for the last few months whenever our church has had a communion service, I have been preaching elsewhere and therefore missed it.

As our church is Methodist/URC and the URC's are allowed to hold communion services online, I have taken part in a couple; but not been to actual services with the rest of the body of Christ.

We never stopped; during the time that the Churches were ordered closed, we offered private communion to anyone that requested it. When the Churches were allowed a limited reopening, we went to two masses per Sunday to accomodate all who wanted it, and the demand was great indeed. With capacities now more increased, we are back to one service on Sunday, but as always, one may request private communion any time they desire.

 

[zoidar]

Here in the UK, our churches were closed for about a year, due to lockdown. Communion has only been slowly reintroduced, and for the last few months whenever our church has had a communion service, I have been preaching elsewhere and therefore missed it.

As our church is Methodist/URC and the URC's are allowed to hold communion services online, I have taken part in a couple; but not been to actual services with the rest of the body of Christ.

Ah, I see!

We in Sweden have like everyone else our lockdowns. For a while we were allowed to maximum ten persons attending. Then we had bread only for a while, where only the priest had wine. Now we are back to normal.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Here in the UK, our churches were closed for about a year, due to lockdown. Communion has only been slowly reintroduced, and for the last few months whenever our church has had a communion service, I have been preaching elsewhere and therefore missed it.

As our church is Methodist/URC and the URC's are allowed to hold communion services online, I have taken part in a couple; but not been to actual services with the rest of the body of Christ.

Extenuating circumstances can prevail. Under ordinary times, most liturgical churches hold that the minimum is 4-6 times per year. I normally receive it weekly, but over the summer, due to a personal sin, I held off until I had time for confession.

St. Mary of Egypt received the Eucharist only twice in her life. Once when she repented of her life and then left for the Jordanian desert, and then the day she died after receiving it from St. Zosimas.

Mary of Egypt - Wikipedia

 

[Strong in Him]

Extenuating circumstances can prevail. Under ordinary times, most liturgical churches hold that the minimum is 4-6 times per year.

We used to have it twice a month in our church, before the pandemic; once in the morning, once in the evening.
As an Anglican, I had the opportunity to have it weekly, if I wanted. But many Methodist churches appear to have it only monthly.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

We used to have it twice a month in our church, before the pandemic; once in the morning, once in the evening.
As an Anglican, I had the opportunity to have it weekly, if I wanted. But many Methodist churches appear to have it only monthly.

Oh sorry as I meant to say that Communion should be offered every Sunday, while it is up to the individual on how often they should take it.

 

[Strong in Him]

Oh sorry as I meant to say that Communion should be offered every Sunday, while it is up to the individual on how often they should take it.

Agreed.

 

[RDKirk]

Oh sorry as I meant to say that Communion should be offered every Sunday, while it is up to the individual on how often they should take it.

Back in the late 80s, we were members of a tiny Church of God in rural Maryland where we were not only the only black family, but we were the only couple still in the workforce. All the other members except the pastor were retired farmers and their wives.

So I wound up doing the Wednesday night bible study because I was able to stand up for an hour to read and discuss the prepared Church of God lessons. Of course, each of these people had been Church of God for half a century, so I wasn't telling them anything new...but it was Wednesday night, and the Wednesday night bible study was what they did on Wednesday nights.

On one particular night, the lesson was about Church of God practices, and the question in the text was, "When do we have communion?"

One little old woman named Hazel, who always sat in the front pew to the right, immediately responded brightly, "When we have examined ourselves!"

That wasn't what the lesson text said...but the Holy Spirit said to me, "That's the right answer. Shut up and move on."

 

[FireDragon76]

For one, Justin Martyr, writing in the early 2nd century, reported that they cut their communion wine with water.

Eastern Orthodox still practice this. Some Episcopalians also pour a small amount of water into the wine. I've never seen a Lutheran do this, however.

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

Eastern Orthodox still practice this. Some Episcopalians also pour a small amount of water into the wine. I've never seen a Lutheran do this, however.

Correct. During the preparation of the elements, boiling water is added to the chalice mixed with the wine and bread with the following rubric.

The Deacon, taking the zeon, addresses the Priest:
Bless, Master, the zeon.

The Priest, blessing the zeon, says:
Blessed is the fervor of Your saints, always, now and forever and to the ages of ages.

Deacon: Amen.
The Deacon pours from the zeon the needed amount into the holy Chalice, saying:
The fervor of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

[Dan Perez]

What do you think? I heard that some guys used coke and cookies, when they were out camping.

Are you speaking about Matt 26:26--29 ?

dan p

 

[zoidar]

Are you speaking about Matt 26:26--29 ?

dan p

... Sure! Lord's supper generally...

 

[RDKirk]

What do you think? I heard that some guys used coke and cookies, when they were out camping.

Holding communion is not a salvational issue. It's not better to do it wrong than to delay doing it until it can be done right.