Weekly Communion

Melethiel · Mar 18, 2010

So this is more of a 2-part question...how common is it among the LCMS and WELS (in particular) to

1. Not hold weekly communion
2. Not hold communion on Easter

The first one has been an annoyance to me, since I am not always able to attend every Sunday, which sometimes means going a month without communion.

The second one was quite a shock to me when I found out that my church doesn't do it, because I would think that Easter would be the one Sunday out of the year when you WOULD want to hold communion.

The reasoning given me for both of these seems rather lame, either easily countered with Biblical and theological reasoning, or is simply an appeal to tradition and a reticence to change. There are a few people in my church that agree with me, but I'm the only one who has ever spoken up about it.

How would I go about convincing the pastor and the congregation that weekly communion is a good idea, and far more consistent with Scripture and the Confessions?

Tangible · Mar 18, 2010

We have communion on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. Communion is offered every week at the 6:30 pm service, though, so if you really wanted it every Sunday, you could have it.

The odd Sundays are sort of liturgy-lite, circa 1982, Methodoid, quasi-contemporary style. It's like getting socks and underwear for Christmas.

We always have communion on Easter, though. Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday too. Liturgy per Divine Service, setting one.

porterross · Mar 18, 2010

Hear, hear!

I believe Communion should be offered as part of every Mass and I'm glad that attitude seems to be more common here than in the area I was raised. Many LCMS churches there are still stuck on the two or three times a month communing because "that's the way it's been done for years and it makes it seem more special".

That is the attitude of most of the generations that are not going to be which us much longer (sorry, but it's true), so I can see things returning to what they should be in the near future. What bugs me about the whole thing is that pastors somehow hold the elder members of the congregation in higher regard than the younger, who usually seem to want things returned to truer Lutheran orthodoxy. How is it sensible to risk losing your future of a congregation over something that those who have the choice to not partake if they feel it's not something they want to do? Those who do desire to receive the Sacrament more often are left without the option of doing so to satisfy those who don't and that's not right and it's illogical.

Melethiel · Mar 18, 2010

"that's the way it's been done for years and it makes it seem more special".

That's the reasoning I got. When I said I didn't buy it and gave my reasoning, all I got was, "Well, that's your opinion. There have been a lot of papers written from both sides." and "well, if weekly communion is what the congregation wants, we'll do it." Naturally, "the congregation" is mostly older people stuck in the past...

BoC · Mar 18, 2010

porterross said:
Hear, hear!

I believe Communion should be offered as part of every Mass and I'm glad that attitude seems to be more common here than in the area I was raised. Many LCMS churches there are still stuck on the two or three times a month communing because "that's the way it's been done for years and it makes it seem more special".

That is the attitude of most of the generations that are not going to be which us much longer (sorry, but it's true), so I can see things returning to what they should be in the near future. What bugs me about the whole thing is that pastors somehow hold the elder members of the congregation in higher regard than the younger, who usually seem to want things returned to truer Lutheran orthodoxy. How is it sensible to risk losing your future of a congregation over something that those who have the choice to not partake if they feel it's not something they want to do? Those who do desire to receive the Sacrament more often are left without the option of doing so to satisfy those who don't and that's not right and it's illogical.

Money talks

Melethiel said:
[/size][/color][/font]That's the reasoning I got. When I said I didn't buy it and gave my reasoning, all I got was, "Well, that's your opinion. There have been a lot of papers written from both sides." and "well, if weekly communion is what the congregation wants, we'll do it." Naturally, "the congregation" is mostly older people stuck in the past...

I agree with "stuck in the past" attitude. The baby boomers seem to have a "lesse faire" attitude about all things "churchy". A truly Lutheran attitude that we don't have to participate much in our ongoing sanctification. Nothing needs to change because if it is good for them then it is good for everyone.

DaRev · Mar 18, 2010

I have never heard of a church that does not celebrate the Sacrament on Easter Sunday. That's a new one to me.

Every Sunday communion is indeed Confessional. Both the Augustana and the Apology speak of the Sacrament being offered at every Mass on every Lord's Day and festival day. There are a couple reasons why many Lutheran churches do not celebrate the Lord's Supper every Sunday. One is that in the early days of the Lutheran Church in North America there were not enough ordained clergy for every congregation, especially in more rural areas. There would be itinerant pastors who would travel from place to place each week and so these churches could only have the Sacrament when there was an ordained pastor there to administer it. This "tradition" was carried on over the years. The other reason is the infiltration of Reformed protestant theology into the Lutheran Church. Since the Reformed do not believe that the body and blood of Christ is present in the Sacrament, and thus no benefit is derived from partaking, then there is really no reason to have the Lord's Supper every week. Many protestant churches have it once a month or even less often than that. This is also a tradition that has been carried on in many churches.

I have seen more and more LCMS churches returning to the Biblical and Confessional practice of every Sunday communion. My church currently has communion twice per month, although they used to have it weekly. I will be re-introducing it here shortly, likely after Easter.

MarkRohfrietsch · Mar 19, 2010

Our custom is Communion on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays; and Festivals. Some Months it is every Sunday. We use LSB DS1, 3, and sometimes 4, rarely 5.

When there is no communion we use Matins or Service of prayer and preaching.

While this may or may not be the reasoning; my new congregation is very large, and almost everyone Communes. We have a rather narrow chancel/short Communion rail and it often takes over a half hour to commune every one (Lots of communion Hymns). Communion Services run about 1 1/2 hour.

Pastor is a great preacher, and w/o communion, he preaches great sermons which are much longer. If he were to do this during Mass, service would be about 2 hours. That would be a bit long for some.

The excellent teaching that we get from his "longer" sermons may be a fair trade.

Mark

Kalevalatar · Mar 19, 2010

I'm a big believer in taking Communion 'as often as possible' and offering Communion 'as often as possible'. On any typical week, once a week, our church offers a morning Communion service handy for those heading for work; once a week as well, a mid-week lunch hour Communion ("a lunch date with Jesus Christ"); once or twice a week, a mid-week 6 p.m. Communion handy for those heading home from work; a Saturday evening Communion, as well as the traditional Sunday morning Mass. Something for every schedule, so to speak, lest someone had to forgo Communion because they cannot make it, timetable-wise. Then again, we are blessed with the appropriate resources: pastors.

How to convince the pastor and the congregation that weekly communion is a good idea? How about whipping out the Catechism? Luther was a big believer in receiving the Sacrament (of the Altar) 'often', to eat and drink it, and thereby remeber Him.

JTornado1 · Mar 19, 2010

Years ago, my church had Communion weekly, during the early service one week and the second service the following week. My church currently has Communion every other week. We do have Communion on Easter Sunday regardless.

MarkRohfrietsch · Mar 19, 2010

JTornado1 said:
Years ago, my church had Communion weekly, during the early service one week and the second service the following week. My church currently has Communion every other week. We do have Communion on Easter Sunday regardless.

Hi and Welcome!

Mark

Melethiel · Mar 19, 2010

How to convince the pastor and the congregation that weekly communion is a good idea? How about whipping out the Catechism? Luther was a big believer in receiving the Sacrament (of the Altar) 'often', to eat and drink it, and thereby remeber Him.

"But the Bible doesn't say how often...."

*sigh*

Kalevalatar · Mar 20, 2010

Melethiel said:
"But the Bible doesn't say how often...."

*sigh*

Yeah, I know. The Bible, after all, is not a paint-by-the-numbers book, and God gave us the free will AND the brains so that we could decide for ourselves. It would be so much more easier if He had simply given us a simple how-to manual, wouldn't it?

(Maybe) you could try adding some "spin" by re-framing the question: "how is it that we (as in, our/your concregation) remember and receive our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ only every second week (or so). Why can't we remember and receive Him every week?"

That would be one tough question to answer, let alone deny, wouldn't it?

Luther said that Christians who go without Communion for long periods should no longer be considered "Christians." Now, I'm well aware that he was talking about months or even years, but still. Luther also made a point how if someone 'hungers' (sorry, if I got the exact wording wrong, as my Catechism is in Finnish and Swedish) for a Communion, should go and have (receive) it. Obviously, you (and others in your concregation) hunger for it more often than what is available to you presently, so how can you be denied? I say, build your argument upon that.

PreachersWife2004 · Mar 20, 2010

My home church where I grew up offered communion every Sunday, but they alternated between the early and late service, so if you wanted to take it every Sunday you could, but you'd have to get up earlier to do so. Only recently has this church started offering communion on Easter, in the late service, and from what I understand the logistics are a nightmare but they do it nonetheless.

The two other churches I've been a member of (after I got married) did the 1st and 3rd (and our current also does the 5th). Our church in Detroit never offered communion on Easter and I don't think this one here in MN does, although I haven't asked anyone either. Inconvenience is the only reason given. I neither agree nor disagree with them.

I firmly believe in taking communion whenever it is offered, but I don't judge churches who choose to not have it at certain times. I know of a few churches who offer communion on Good Friday rather than Maundy Thursday because more people attend the Good Friday service.

Aibrean · Mar 20, 2010

I am certain that money is not an issue in regards to weekly communion. My former church had it every other week and it was a very big church with a large congregation. My current church has it every week and it's a much smaller congregation. I know both do communion on Easter. The larger one has it "festival style" where everyone goes down the center aisle to get it from the pastor. The one I attend now is always at the altar around the railings.

Lupinus · Mar 21, 2010

The only thing I can think of is efficiency. Doing communion simply takes longer.

My church does first, third, fifth, and at all holiday/festival services. On non-commonuion Sundays are when we will typically do other add ins (marriage renewals, baptisms, etc.) to the normal worship service. It's nice having a fairly even church time, but I'd gladly give it up for communion every week.

Melethiel · Mar 21, 2010

Our services run the same length whether there's communion or not. The pastor simply preaches a longer sermon on non-communion sundays.

JTornado1 · Mar 21, 2010

MarkRohfrietsch said:
Hi and Welcome!

Mark

Glad to be here!

synger · Mar 23, 2010

Our church gives communion every week, alternating between early and late service. On fifth Sundays we have Matins. We always have communion on Easter. I can't imagine it without it.

DaRev · Mar 23, 2010

I hear of a lot of churches that have multiple services on Sunday and alternating communion between the services. While, technically, it could be said that these churches have communion every Sunday, in reality they do not since it is not offered at every service every week.

Weekly Communion

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