Lord's Supper

Very good thread to start!

I have't tried it yet, but someone here at the seminary told of an interesting way that I would like to try sometime.

A few nights before the service, the church gathered together in the fellowship hall for... well, fellowship. And during that time, they mixed dough for bread. At the end, they took the bread home, baked it prior to the service, and brought it in for the service. And, during the service, they had more bread baking in the sanctuary. The aroma filled the room, and that bread was used to go out in the community and share the Lord's Supper with shut-ins.

She said the fact that the service was so sensory because of the aroma (and it was during Lent), and it was an amazing experience. Also, to know they were partaking of the Lord's Supper with bread "created" through the fellowship of the people was meaningful as well.

I thought it was a neat idea, and I might suggest it at my church sometime in the near future.

 

We have done it the way that brobobby spoke of, it was a wonderful service. It really caused people to stop and think and not just go through the motions.

Another way we have done it was to have family units come to the table. If someone was alone we had them join with other families and come to the table with them. I had the husband, or leader of the family, pray for the family and the elements of the supper and then he would serve his family, then I would pray over each group. It was very meaningfull.

We have also set up tables in the fellowship hall and had the Sader meal followed by the Lord's Supper. It really added alot of understanding.

Bro Tony

 

1.) Typically, meaning the deacons carry the elements to each pew and serve. Whatever.

2.) As a part of a play, like several years ago when they did Celebrate Life, and the disciples passed out the Lord's Supper.

3.) In silence. Only music playing. Period.

4.) By candlelight and with a candlelighting.

5.) Where heads of families served their family.

6.) Where we went down to the front and got our own.

7.) As a part of a small group in my home.

8.) As a part of a planning retreat.

9.) In Children's worship.

 

we have an order of worship as a suggestion of how a communion service is run. http://hometown.aol.com/pastorkthunder its located in the sermon archive under special services Hope that this may be a help to new ministers or new Churches unfamilar with the process of the Lord's supper.

 

Our Church centers the entire worship aroud communion. From the songs we sing to the sermon. I usually will preach a sermon of salvation or repentance and finish with an "alter call" from their seats to search their hearts to find any unforgiven sin as I beleive that corinthians tells us that those who take communion unworthy (saved christians with unrepentant sin in their life) will suffer. After that we begin the communion service.

 

There is no indication of the exact method used by the early church. Likely they had the Lord's Supper every time they met. Any of the above methods might be possible as a variation.

In Russia the deacons broke the bread at the table just before serving it and then brought it around to every person, and afterwards the cup (a community cup wiped off after each use by the serving deacon). Each person who was prepared to take the Lord's Supper stood and were served individually. That person then partook of the meal when they were ready and then sat down. It was uniquely different from my 39 years of the Lord's Supper here in the US.

Some latitude is acceptable as long as we do not take away from the meaning and seriousness of the occasion. Eating chips and coke by the pool in bathing attire with friends does not constitute a Lord's Supper occasion.