Not taking "communion"

[Abiyah]

Occasionally, I visit my husband's church, and
approximately 1 out of every 3 times that I have
visited, they are doing "communion." I do not
participate.

I just read this on another thread here:
"Refusing to take communion is the sin of
disobedience."
While I know this statement is not true, it does
make me wonder if my not joining them is seen
as rude, as an affront?

If it is, this does not mean I will participate, but
I would be more careful about when I visit, since
my husband, as a board member, likely knows
when they will be serving it, and I could ask. I
certainly do not mean to be offensive.

 

[dianetavegia]

I just read this on another thread here:
"Refusing to take communion is the sin of
disobedience."
While I know this statement is not true, it does
make me wonder if my not joining them is seen
as rude, as an affront?

If it is, this does not mean I will participate, but I would be more careful about when I visit, since my husband, as a board member, likely knows
when they will be serving it, and I could ask. I
certainly do not mean to be offensive.

Abiyah, If I am caught off guard and my heart is not prepared... I will not take communion in my own church! Manytimes, while working in the nursery, I've had a deacon appear with the wafer and cup.... and I've refused. I will not lightly partake!

Wondering why you do not participate tho? Is it their method? ONLY asking because I don't know your customs.

Diane

 

[Abiyah]

(Sorry I started this in the wrong area!!)

Thank you, Diane, for your response. I hoped this
was the correct way to handle it. It is made worse,
however, by my trying to make it more convenient
for my husband by sitting in the third row or so.
By doing this, I feel even more conspicuous, but I
sit there because he is a music leader there.

Diane, it is just that "communion" is part of the
Pesach seder, so I do it at that time in my own
synagogue.

 

[Yelsew]

Do not be troubled by your not partaking of the communion in a gentile church. No one has a right to judge you except the Lord God. If you do not desire to participate out of respect for your tradition, that is perfectly acceptable in every Gentile church that I've been in including the Catholic church.

It would not, however, be out of place for you to participate, if you are "complete in Jesus" the Son God, the Messiah, for you see the elements consumed do represent the body and blood of the Messiah, the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. If you are "in Jesus", you receive the blessing of consuming His flesh and drinking of his blood.

For those who know you it may be a surprise if you do partake of the elements. But if you believe in Jesus with your whole heart, mind and soul, you please Him by joining with your brethren and sistren who likewise believe in Jesus. After all, it is Jesus with whom you are communing, and not with the others who also consume the elements. By being "with" Jesus, consuming his body and blood, you are communing with Jesus, and the body of that church is also communing with Jesus, not just with each other.

You are not aligning yourself with your husband's church body, or with his faith, but with the body of Christ! If that is what your Pesach seder teaches, then the meaning is the same and the blessings are the same, just done in a slightly different manner.

Again, the key is whom your faith and trust are in, and not who you are with. If you do not believe in Jesus as your savior, you certainly would not want to symbolically consume his body or drink his blood.

So what does your Pesach seder teach regarding "the communion"?

 

[Jude]

How does one "symbolically eat the Body" or "drink His blood"? Jesus said, "This is My Body." Why don't you believe Him?

 

[Abiyah]

Hi, Yelsew.

As you possibly know, the seder is a complete
meal with much singing, praises, questions,
and readings. Certain foods, like the bitter herbs,
the matzoh, etc., are served at certain times.

During the seder, there are many cups of wine (or
juice). The first one has the first blessing over the
wine. The second is the cup of deliverance and the
third the cup of redemption. The fourth cup,
however, is the cup of glorification. Some call
it the marriage cup. This is the one Messiah told
His people to drink, saying that He would not
drink it again until He drinks it with them when they
are together eternally. This is the final cup of the
seder. We use matzoh, of course, for the bread.

 

[BobRyan]

Abiyah -

Is there a point to not taking communion at your husbands church? Does it serve a purpose not to do so?

In Christ,

Bob

 

[Abiyah]

Simply put, it goes against my beliefs.

 

[thessalonian]

Originally posted by Abiyah:
Simply put, it goes against my beliefs.

If it (his Church) goes against your beliefs then you are not in "communion" with them and should not participate, though it may feel uncofortable for you and make others uncofortable.

In the early centuries of the Church a letter had to be carried by a traveler from the Bishop for him to participate in a parishes communion, authenticating him as a member of orthodox Christianity. Heretical sects would even force travelers to partake of their communion, holding them down and forcing it in their mouth, believing that this joined the traveler with their sect.

Blessings

 

[amixedupmom]

I was raised Catholic in my younger years and recieved communion many many times. I knew it was important and I knew what it symbolized but I still never got it.

Well many years later I am now a Baptist, and I've learned that as christians Christ wants us to remember him in this way. I never felt right taking it until recently. I was at church a few sunday's ago and they had Lord's Supper. I contemplated leaving since I have several issues left undone. But, it dawned on me, I'm never going to be good enough, after all i'm human. So I sat down and had the Lords Supper with my fellow christans and enjoyed it very much.

God Bless

 

[Jude]

Originally posted by Lea:
I was raised Catholic in my younger years and recieved communion many many times. I knew it was important and I knew what it symbolized...

God Bless

If you were raised 'Catholic', then you obviously were not taught properly. The Bread and Wine do not 'symbolize' anything. They are the very Body and Blood of Christ.

 

[John Gilmore]

Originally posted by thessalonian:
In the early centuries of the Church a letter had to be carried by a traveler from the Bishop for him to participate in a parishes communion, authenticating him as a member of orthodox Christianity.

Until recently, Lutheran churches required visitors to carry a letter from their home pastors. Also, members and visitors had to announce their intention to the pastor at least a day before the Holy Supper. Things have become more lax; however, only confirmed Lutherans may receive communion at an orthodox Lutheran church.

[ September 21, 2003, 09:10 PM: Message edited by: John Gilmore ]

 

[John Gilmore]

Originally posted by Jude:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Lea:
I was raised Catholic in my younger years and recieved communion many many times. I knew it was important and I knew what it symbolized...

God Bless

If you were raised 'Catholic', then you obviously were not taught properly. The Bread and Wine do not 'symbolize' anything. They are the very Body and Blood of Christ. </font>[/QUOTE]Do Anglicans such as yourself who belief in the physical presence of Christ in Holy Supper share communion with Anglicans who do not? If so, why considering the lack of unity of belief and the failure to discern the body of Christ?

 

[Abiyah]

Thessalonian and John Gilmore --

Wow! I had no idea! Letters in order to join in, and
people forcing others to partake, the latter being
horribly ridiculous! What we have done to people
in the name of religion!!

Also, I always thought your word, "Communion,"
intended communion wth the Messiah; have I
misunderstood, and it intends communion with
a congregation or with people?

[ September 21, 2003, 09:13 PM: Message edited by: Abiyah ]

 

[Abiyah]

This was an oops!

[ September 21, 2003, 09:18 PM: Message edited by: Abiyah ]

 

[BobRyan]

Originally posted by Abiyah:
Simply put, it goes against my beliefs.

The Communion service itself or is it something specific about the way they practice it?

Are you saying this in the "context" of the Acts 15 statement for Gentile Christians?

In Christ,

Bob

 

[thessalonian]

Abidayah
"Also, I always thought your word, "Communion,"
intended communion wth the Messiah; have I
misunderstood, and it intends communion with
a congregation or with people?"

When looking at Catholicism from now on let me make a suggestion. Usually it is not either, or, but both. We are in communion with Christ and communion with the congregants. We become one body for we are the "communion of the saints". The sacrement unites us with Christ and with eachother. So it is not either or but both the congregation AND christ that we become united with. In fact, also throughout Church history, as a symbol of that unity, the Bishop would send men out to the various churches with the Eucharist that had been consecrated at the Mass that he officiated to be mixed with the Eucharist at these churches as a symbol of that unity. I am not sure that this is done today but it was for many years and can be found back in the 2nd and 3rd century. Also note that it was the heretics who forced communion on others. The orthodox would not have thought of causing a sacrilidege of our Lord's precious body and blood.

Blessings
Blessings

 

[Abiyah]

Bob, you know what I despise? Computer service
that comes in over my cable TV. Gr-r-r-r-r-r! It
keeps cutting me off mid-post. I am trying it in
this room to see if it is better.

Originally posted by BobRyan:

The Communion service itself or is it something specific about the way they practice it?

Are you saying this in the "context" of the Acts 15 statement for Gentile Christians?

In Christ,

Bob

Bob, you are really pushing me into a corner!
I was trying not to get into this. I will just was that
it is my personal belief that this practice should
not be practiced outside of the Pesach seder.

 

[Abiyah]

Thessalonian --

Ah! Both! I see it as both, too. I thought, from
the post, that it was with congregation only!
Thank you.

 

[CatholicConvert]

I don't understand. What difference does it make whether you partake or not?

Hey, it's just a cracker and some grape juice, right?

So how does it hurt you to not partake? It's not like the cracker and grape juice can either give or take away from you eternal life.

I wouldn't sweat it myself if I were you.

AND THANK GOD I'M NOT AND WE HAVE THAT WHICH JESUS SAYS CONFERS ETERNAL LIFE -- HIS TRUE BODY AND BLOOD UNDER THE APPEARENCE OF BREAD AND WINE!!