Communion
Worship at St. Peter's > Rites and Sacraments
Rites and Sacraments - Communion
Communion
In accordance with the teaching
of our Lord and the practice prevailing among evangelical Christians,
the United Church of Christ recognizes two sacraments:
Baptism and the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion.
- From the Preamble to the Constitution of the United
Church of Christ
The
Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and
when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that
is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the
same way
he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new
covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in
remembrance of me."
- 1 Corinthians 11:23-25
When Jesus was at table with
them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.
Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.
- Luke 24:30-31
Here,
O my Lord, I see you face to face; here would I touch and handle things
unseen. Here grasp with firmer hand the eternal grace, and
all my
weariness upon you lean. - Horatius Bonar, 1855, alt., The
New Century Hymnal
The
origin of Communion
The communion meal
recalls the table
fellowship Jesus shared with his disciples, and in particular the Last
Supper on the night before his death as well as his appearances to the
disciples during meals following his resurrection. Throughout
its
history these Biblical events have been central to the Church's worship
life.
The
meaning of Communion
In the sacrament of Holy
Communion,
also called the Lord's Supper or Eucharist, meaning "thanksgiving",
Christians hear, taste, touch and receive the grace of God revealed
through Jesus Christ in a unique way. Communion is:
- a joyous act of
thanksgiving for all God has done, is doing, and will do for the
redeeming of creation;
- a sacred memorial of the
crucified and risen
Christ, a living and effective sign of Christ's sacrifice in which
Christ is truly
and rightly present
to those who eat and drink;
- an earnest prayer for the
presence of the Holy
Spirit to unite those who partake with the Risen Christ and with each
other, and to restore
creation, making all
things new;
- an intimate experience of
fellowship in which
the whole church in every time and place is present and divisions are
overcome;
- a hopeful sign of the
promised Realm of God marked by justice, love and peace.
The United
Church of Christ Book
of Worship reminds us that "the invitation and the call (to the supper)
celebrate not only the memory of a meal that is past, but an actual
meal with the risen Christ that is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet
at which Christ will preside at the end of history."
What
elements are used? What do they mean?
The broken bread and
poured wine
represent - present anew - the crucified and risen Christ.
The
wheat gathered to bake one loaf and the grapes pressed to make one cup
remind participants that they are one body in Christ, while the
breaking and pouring announce the costliness of Christ's sacrifice for
the forgiveness of sin. Some churches provide non-alcoholic
and
gluten-free elements. At St. Peter's we serve bread with
grape
juice or wine.
What
words are used?
The Book of Worship and
The New
Century Hymnal contain several liturgies for the celebration of Holy
Communion. In addition, many liturgies from ecumenical and
global
sources are frequently used. At the heart of the service are
Jesus' words about the bread and the cup from the Biblical account of
the Last Supper.
How
is Communion served?
A variety of practices
are
found in the United Church of Christ, including the sharing of a common
loaf or the use of individual wafers or cubes of bread and the sharing
of a common cup or of individual cups either at the Table or in the
pews. Intinction (dipping the bread in the wine) is also an
acceptable practice. Care should be taken to ensure that the
full
meaning of the sacrament is communicated by the way the elements are
used and served. The pastor presides at the Table, normally
assisted by elders or deacons.
Who
may receive Communion?
In most United Church of
Christ local
churches, the Communion Table is "open to all Christians who wish to
know the presence of Christ and to share in the community of God's
people." (Book of Worship) Some visitors from
churches
which believe communion should only be celebrated among Christians who
are in full doctrinal agreement might not choose to participate.
Their decision should be respected.
What about children?
In many Christan
churches baptized
children and even infants are able to receive communion.
Practice
in the United Church of Christ varies, but increasingly children are
welcomed to the Table at their parents' discretion following a period
of instruction about the sacrament's meaning. At St. Peter's
it
is tradition for children to first share communion on their
confirmation day.
How
often is Communion served?
In the early church
Communion was
served weekly, a practice continued and encouraged by the Protestant
Reformers. Gradually the frequency of communion decreased in many
Protestant churches. This trend is now being reversed.
While no one pattern prevails in the United Church of Christ,
many congregations are moving toward monthly or weekly communion.
At St. Peter's we share communion on the first Sunday of each
month.