Last Sunday morning we talked about the amazing life of God that was at work in the church after the day of Pentecost: reverence, sharing, signs and wonders, praise, worship, favor, growth, and so on. We noted that these were people who had committed their lives to follow Jesus and had been immersed into the reality of his death and resurrection through baptism.
We then asked how were they able to experience and sustain this incredible God-life among them. Acts 2.42 records a four-fold rhythm of practice that they followed: the Apostles' teaching, the common life, the Lord's Supper (called "breaking bread"), and prayers. The grammar of the verse is quite clear that all of these elements were intricately linked and practiced in tandem.
I would like to reflect on the experience of the Lord's Supper, also known as Holy Communion or the Eucharist. First, it was clear that the church made it part of their consist and frequent practice (Acts 2.46; 1 Corinthians 11). As the church grew, it became clear that this holy meal was a powerful encounter with God that accomplished several things. First, it kept the sacrificial and renewing work of Christ central to their lives (1 Corinthians 11.26). Second, it served as a means by which God granted them his grace and spiritually nourished them (John 6.35-59; 1 Corinthians 10.16). Third, it was a way in which they were consistently re-grouped and re-constituted as the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 10.16-17). More could be said, but this is a good part.
In our time, many still find sustenance and power through the work of Christ when they come to the table of the Lord. I and many others can testify to the encouraging, transformative presence of the Spirit. I remember reading of one professor who, when hearing the heartbreaking story and confessions of students, would often tell them, "I am not a psychologist, so I cannot help you in that way. I can, however, tell you one thing: Run to the table of the Lord! Run to Communion and find his help there!" Some can even testify of receiving healing!
I would like to hear your thoughts.
What do you think of the early Church's practice of frequent and consistent communion? How do you think the contemporary Church does in comparison? I would most like to hear about your experiences. Tell about some occasions where you experienced God in a special way through the Lord's Supper!
We will keep this dialog going!
I've sometimes wondered if Jesus intended the Lord's Supper to be the sort of sacrament that it is today.
ReplyDeleteMight His intent have been "whenever you have dinner with other disciples, whenever you share bread and drink wine, do so in my memory"?
Paul does emphasize the holiness of the Lord's Supper in 1 Cor 10, but I think there's room in the text for Paul's admonition to pertain to how the church acts and thinks when they share dinner. That is, his instructions could not only pertain to the communion service, but also the Sunday afternoon fellowship dinner. In either case, Christ is not honored when one member gorges on food while another goes hungry. In either case, the point is the fellowship and the remembrance, not the satiation of our appetites.
You raise some interesting points.
ReplyDeleteI think that the Lord's Supper was sacramental from the beginning. Consider first that it was not an ordinary meal at which it was instituted: it was at Passover, the Jewish freedom meal. This was a sacred time that re-lived the dramatic rescue of God's people out of Egyptian slavery. Jesus was capturing this event and re-investing in it the significance of what he was currently accomplishing through his death, resurrection, and eventual return.
Second, the term "breaking bread" did come bear a special meaning in reference to the Lord's Supper. In fact, the Early Church would gather for that purpose (Acts 20.7) and more frequently than the annual Passover (Acts 2.42; 1 Corinthians 11).
Apparently, the early setting of the Lord's Supper was in the context of a larger "agape feast" (1 Corinthians 11). The abuses that arose out of that combination (again, 1 Corinthians 11), eventually led to the separation of the Lord's Supper - we see the beginning of that separation in Paul's instructions when dealing with these abuses.
I also think that it was stronger than doing dinner in his memory. Jesus' words at the Supper indicate that. Paul's interpretation of the dinner indicates it as well: 1 Cor 10.16 is strong language about sharing in Christ through the Supper. The possible destructive effects of taking the Lord's Supper in an "unworthy manner" is particularly interesting (1 Cor 11.27-32).
We also get some clues about the sacred nature of the event by reading the disciples of the apostles. People like Ignatius of Antioch writing at the close of the first century describe a special event of the Eucharist. Not long after, we find specific prayers that surround the Eucharist. If the immediate disciples of the Apostles are carrying on the teaching of the Apostles faithfully, then we should give considerable weight to their teaching (though not the same, of course, as Scripture).
Finally, I do like what you say about the nature of the meal where all are met. In fact, I think it is tragic that we seem to lack not only that sense of justice in our churches, but also that sense of community and sharing - even frequent meals together. Something that I think can be positively shaped by a strong theology and practice of the Lord's Supper.
I believe Communion is a sacred insitution given by the Lord that can become routine instead of revered. It was not simply Communion or the other things that gave strength to the believers--it was God's mighty power of the Holy Spirit which is what the book of Acts is centered around. It is not God's energy, it is God's power. Sometimes a person tends to be in today's society too politically correct. That is why neither do I like the term contemporary church as it sounds too much like the Laodician church or a conservative church. I love the times of Communion where the Word of God is read pertaining to the sacrement, love the prayer over the bread, love the prayer over the wine, and cherish the time of thought/prayer before and the contemplation afterwards.
ReplyDelete