Notes from Norman

THE LORD'S SUPPER: HOW OFTEN?

Recently, I came across an interesting article titled, "The Lord’s Supper: How Often?" It was written by D. G. Hart and John R. Meuther. I never heard of either one of them, but they identify themselves as members of a faith community different from my own. In the article they discuss the pros and cons of the frequent observance of the Lord’s Supper, as opposed to the occasional. They don’t involve themselves in legal arguments either way, although they do suggest that weekly communion was the practice of the early church. We are in a tradition that believes in frequency. Many of us, perhaps most of us, would probably agree that weekly participation at the table was the normal practice of the first century church.

Personally, I believe we’re on safe ground when we observe weekly communion, but I would like to look beyond trying to satisfy a legal requirement. As a matter of fact if we view it merely as the fulfillment of a Bible command, we’ll not likely experience the vibrant celebration that Jesus intended, when he said, "I’ll drink it a anew with you in my Father’s kingdom."

I’ve often wondered why some churches observe the supper monthly; others observe it quarterly, and some even observe it annually. According to Hart and Meuther, most church practices regarding the Lord’s Supper were developed in the 18th century Europe. Some church members felt hostility to a clergy that sought to impose it on the people. Poverty was another reason. Bread was scarce in the 18th century. The churches didn’t have enough qualified ministers to serve the Lord’s Supper and it was believed that only an ordained minister could serve the communion. Apparently they had long services. The communion service was also long, and they didn’t shorten they were observing communion, so it taxed the strength of the feebler members.

Hart and Meuther belong to a faith community in which the Lord’s Supper is observed quarterly, but they advocate greater frequency. They even quote John Calvin who called infrequent communion "a most evident contrivance of the devil." I wouldn’t go that far. I’d like to look at it positively. We have the potential to be greatly blessed in our weekly celebration. I was especially glad we’re celebrated the Lord’s Supper today. If we operated on some infrequent timetable, the Lord’s Supper might not have shown up on the calendar on this date. But today, three newly baptized young people, shared communion with us for the very first time. What a blessing it was to include them in our fellowship, to encourage them, encourage each other, and be mutually drawn to the crucified Savior.

posted by Norman @ 3:00 PM