How important is the Lord's Supper to you?

[Dante]

Is the Lord's Supper a neglected rite within our sect of Christianity? Is the Lord's Supper worthy of being a primary doctrine? Does the Lord's Supper matter? Has it ever mattered?

Pentecostals shun ritualism, but is the Lord's Supper a ritual worth observing more frequently than we do? What about the communion table? Have you ever noticed that the communion table is decorated with a bouquet of flowers, or moved out of the way of the pulpit altogether? Why has the pulpit replaced the communion table as the central focus of worship? When did this transition take place?

[Michael The Disciple]

The Lords supper is important. If one NEVER observes it they may be lost. It actually seems to be a weekly thing in scripture.

[shazeep]

I'm kind of glad this came up, as i thought (or imagined?) that there was Scripture indicating that it was supposed to be more of a 'special occasion,' or like maybe 4 times a year thing? But i went searching, and only found "as often as you gather together."

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Dante

Is the Lord's Supper a neglected rite within our sect of Christianity? Is the Lord's Supper worthy of being a primary doctrine? Does the Lord's Supper matter? Has it ever mattered?

Pentecostals shun ritualism, but is the Lord's Supper a ritual worth observing more frequently than we do? What about the communion table? Have you ever noticed that the communion table is decorated with a bouquet of flowers, or moved out of the way of the pulpit altogether? Why has the pulpit replaced the communion table as the central focus of worship? When did this transition take place?

I house church. We have a full meal during which we have testimonies ("Jesus Stories") and close with prayer requests. Then we call to mind the cross of Christ. We pass a single loaf of bread and the cup. We tear the bread, dip the bread in the cup, and partake. We don't call it "Communion" we call it the "Lords Supper". It is central to our time of fellowship just prior to the Bible study.

The only other "sacrament" we observe is water baptism.

[MarkBelosa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I house church. We have a full meal during which we have testimonies ("Jesus Stories") and close with prayer requests. Then we call to mind the cross of Christ. We pass a single loaf of bread and the cup. We tear the bread, dip the bread in the cup, and partake. We don't call it "Communion" we call it the "Lords Supper". It is central to our time of fellowship just prior to the Bible study.

The only other "sacrament" we observe is water baptism.

Sounds good. I sure wish it was practiced more often like monthly if not weekly. The group that I fellowship with does it only once a year.

And I'm curious. Do you allow "unbelievers" to partake in the Lord's Supper? If they haven't been born again but they would like to participate and observe it reverently, do you allow them or not?

[Esaias]

We view the Lord's Supper as a time when Christians share a meal with one another and with our Lord. Thus it takes place whenever believers eat together. The bread and wine, while a major part, are not the sine qua non of a Lord's Supper. That is to say, whenever believers eat together, even without sharing a loaf of bread and a common cup, it is at least a TYPE of the Lord's Supper for we eat together with the Lord's spirit in our midst.

In any event it should be often. And modern Pentecostal churches have imo a very defective view of the Supper:

First, they dont have a supper but instead recreate a Reformed-Evangelical version of a Roman Mass with overly morbidly somber introspection and misplaced ceremonialism designed to make the event seem "sacred" aesthetically.

Second, the use of storebought packaged wafer thingies and individual thimbles destroys the Biblical practice of breaking AND SHARING one loaf, and one common cup, which is supposed to demonstrate our COMMUNION or common sharing of new covenant life in Christ.

And third, the continuation of Zwingli's unbiblical relegation of the Supper to a mere memorial has resulted in making the Lord's Supper essentially irrelevent and easily dispensed with. While "transubstantiation" is a pagan occultic nonsense the truth is there is more to the Supper than mere bread and wine and a mere remembrance of the past.

During Passover and sometimes other times we have footwashing with the Supper as well.

As to unbelievers eating... while the meal is essentially a Christian meal meant for Christians, Jesus never refused to eat with those whom he was "evangelizing". As often as we eat this bread and drink thus cup we show the Lord's death until he returns. Sounds evangelistic to me. Thus if an unbeliever were present I would not refuse them. Also we will have communion with any professing Christian unless they are in open mortal sin (adultery, fornication, idolatry, etc) or they profess antichrist doctrines. I am however still studying what the biblical apostolic approach to open vs closed communion is so my view may change in light of new information.

While too many seem to not appreciate or know the high and holy significance of the Supper, there is simultaneously a lot of superstition in people's views.

[Light]

Originally Posted by Esaias

We view the Lord's Supper as a time when Christians share a meal with one another and with our Lord. Thus it takes place whenever believers eat together. The bread and wine, while a major part, are not the sine qua non of a Lord's Supper. That is to say, whenever believers eat together, even without sharing a loaf of bread and a common cup, it is at least a TYPE of the Lord's Supper for we eat together with the Lord's spirit in our midst.

In any event it should be often. And modern Pentecostal churches have imo a very defective view of the Supper:

First, they dont have a supper but instead recreate a Reformed-Evangelical version of a Roman Mass with overly morbidly somber introspection and misplaced ceremonialism designed to make the event seem "sacred" aesthetically.

Second, the use of storebought packaged wafer thingies and individual thimbles destroys the Biblical practice of breaking AND SHARING one loaf, and one common cup, which is supposed to demonstrate our COMMUNION or common sharing of new covenant life in Christ.

And third, the continuation of Zwingli's unbiblical relegation of the Supper to a mere memorial has resulted in making the Lord's Supper essentially irrelevent and easily dispensed with. While "transubstantiation" is a pagan occultic nonsense the truth is there is more to the Supper than mere bread and wine and a mere remembrance of the past.

During Passover and sometimes other times we have footwashing with the Supper as well.

As to unbelievers eating... while the meal is essentially a Christian meal meant for Christians, Jesus never refused to eat with those whom he was "evangelizing". As often as we eat this bread and drink thus cup we show the Lord's death until he returns. Sounds evangelistic to me. Thus if an unbeliever were present I would not refuse them. Also we will have communion with any professing Christian unless they are in open mortal sin (adultery, fornication, idolatry, etc) or they profess antichrist doctrines. I am however still studying what the biblical apostolic approach to open vs closed communion is so my view may change in light of new information.

While too many seem to not appreciate or know the high and holy significance of the Supper, there is simultaneously a lot of superstition in people's views.

1Co 11:17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse .

1Co 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

1Co 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

1Co 11:20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.

1Co 11:21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

1Co 11:22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by MarkBelosa

Sounds good. I sure wish it was practiced more often like monthly if not weekly. The group that I fellowship with does it only once a year.

And I'm curious. Do you allow "unbelievers" to partake in the Lord's Supper? If they haven't been born again but they would like to participate and observe it reverently, do you allow them or not?

If they are reverent. It becomes a Bible lesson unto salvation.

[Michael The Disciple]

When I Pastored we did weekly communion.

[Dante]

My soul rejoices with the replies so far. I've been researching the topic of the Lord's Supper, and I whole heartedly repent for neglecting this blessed rite of our faith.