Wesleyan theology on communion / eucharist

[HatGuy]

I'd love to hear more on how Wesleyans think of communion and its practice.

For example, can one celebrate it by themselves?
Or with their family at home?

I have a fairly good idea how Catholics view it, as well as Lutherans, and Baptists. Trying to get the gist of Wesleyan teaching on it.

 

[Albion]

You really would do best to ask this question of Methodists on the Methodist/Wesleyan forum.

 

[brocke]

I'd love to hear more on how Wesleyans think of communion and its practice.

For example, can one celebrate it by themselves?
Or with their family at home?

I have a fairly good idea how Catholics view it, as well as Lutherans, and Baptists. Trying to get the gist of Wesleyan teaching on it.

Actually, no.
Communion is to be celebrated amongst the community of believers, it not a private thing. Also, in the Wesleyan movement only the ordained or appointed may administer the communion. So one could not practice it just with their family at home.

With that said however there is the practice traditionally in the Methodist movement to distribute the communion to believers who were not able to attend the communion service. In the past the laity would then take the bread from the communion to people in factories, hospitals, prison, and at their homes who could not be there for the service. It is actually encouraged today that church members distribute the communion, however it is not regularly practiced anymore.

So by that means one could celebrate communion by themselves or with their family, the difference would be the blessing of the elements and invocation of the Holy Spirit would already have been done.

 

[mark kennedy]

There's this joke about a kid trying to baptize his cats. When the tom cat fought so hard he couldn't baptize him, he says, 'fine, be a Methodist then'. They are not big on ceremonial rites, my grand daughter, who is in a Methodist church, wanted to be baptized, the Pastor said she had to learn the Romans road to salvation. They don't see these rites as significant in the sense of salvation so they tend to downplay them.

 

[HatGuy]

Actually, no.
Communion is to be celebrated amongst the community of believers, it not a private thing. Also, in the Wesleyan movement only the ordained or appointed may administer the communion. So one could not practice it just with their family at home.

With that said however there is the practice traditionally in the Methodist movement to distribute the communion to believers who were not able to attend the communion service. In the past the laity would then take the bread from the communion to people in factories, hospitals, prison, and at their homes who could not be there for the service. It is actually encouraged today that church members distribute the communion, however it is not regularly practiced anymore.

So by that means one could celebrate communion by themselves or with their family, the difference would be the blessing of the elements and invocation of the Holy Spirit would already have been done.

Thanks! Just what I was looking for

 

[GodsGrace101]

There's this joke about a kid trying to baptize his cats. When the tom cat fought so hard he couldn't baptize him, he says, 'fine, be a Methodist then'. They are not big on ceremonial rites, my grand daughter, who is in a Methodist church, wanted to be baptized, the Pastor said she had to learn the Romans road to salvation. They don't see these rites as significant in the sense of salvation so they tend to downplay them.

How is learning the Roman Road to Salvation downplaying a ceremony?
I'd think that it's giving it more importance. One should understand what baptism is all about before being baptized. I'm not Catholic, but for instance, in the CC one has to study for a year before being allowed to be baptized and receive Communion.

Seems right to me.

 

[mark kennedy]

How is learning the Roman Road to Salvation downplaying a ceremony?
I'd think that it's giving it more importance. One should understand what baptism is all about before being baptized. I'm not Catholic, but for instance, in the CC one has to study for a year before being allowed to be baptized and receive Communion.

Seems right to me.

Methodists have long under emphasized the rite of water baptism, I'm not sure why but they think it unimportant. It creates no real problem for me except I think the ceremony should have solemn significance for all believers.

 

[GodsGrace101]

Methodists have long under emphasized the rite of water baptism, I'm not sure why but they think it unimportant. It creates no real problem for me except I think the ceremony should have solemn significance for all believers.

I agree.
Jesus said to teach all nation's and to baptize
Mathew 28
So it must be important.
In the Nazarene church, which is Wesleyan, baptism is given a lot of importance, as it should.

 

[mark kennedy]

I agree.
Jesus said to teach all nation's and to baptize
Mathew 28
So it must be important.
In the Nazarene church, which is Wesleyan, baptism is given a lot of importance, as it should.

Yes I know, I studied with them. I just think the Methodists could give it a little more dignity, I have the same problem with the Baptists as a matter of fact.

 

[brocke]

Methodists have long under emphasized the rite of water baptism, I'm not sure why but they think it unimportant. It creates no real problem for me except I think the ceremony should have solemn significance for all believers.

Really? As a Methodist I have to ask you how are we under emphasizing water baptism. It is very much an important and solemn rite in the United Methodist movement. We do not consider it necessary for salvation, or entrance into heaven. But we do view it as a miracle taking place in the regeneration and release/purification from original sin.

 

[Dave-W]

Methodists have long under emphasized the rite of water baptism,

I thought the thread was about communion???

 

[Dave-W]

In the Nazarene church, which is Wesleyan, baptism is given a lot of importance, as it should.

I was born again in a Church of the Nazarene, and no one said one word EVER about baptism.

 

[mark kennedy]

I thought the thread was about communion???

I'm not sure how that tangent came up but it was after I told a joke.

 

[JCFantasy23]

There's this joke about a kid trying to baptize his cats. When the tom cat fought so hard he couldn't baptize him, he says, 'fine, be a Methodist then'. They are not big on ceremonial rites, my grand daughter, who is in a Methodist church, wanted to be baptized, the Pastor said she had to learn the Romans road to salvation. They don't see these rites as significant in the sense of salvation so they tend to downplay them.

Your experience must be quite different than mine. I've attended several Methodist churches and none downplayed communion. It is treated with reverence. Of course, the same can be said for my baptism - it was treated as special and a huge deal in the my church as well, a beautiful moment that is no way was downplayed. Maybe it depends on the regions the churches are in.