The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Communion at home?

Practices Christian Living
#1

I know there is a wide variety of believers here, from Anglicans to Baptists to Methodists/Wesleyans to those who do not attend church at all, so I would liko get people’s opinions on this. (I am a Baptist btw)

I am considering starting a tradition with my wife where every Thursday we hold a communion service by ourself at home, either right before dinner or afterwards. Something like making every Thursday a mini maundy Thursday in the same way that every Sunday is a mini-Easter. It would be a tradition that I hope would nourish and enrich our spiritual lives and something we could do with our kids (god willing that we have kids).

Some churches believe that communion can only be done by a validly ordained minister/priest. Howeve, my beliefs are that we are all preists, that the clergy/laity distinction is one artificially created by the Church a couple hundred years later, and the church is anywhere that two or more believers gather for the sole purpose of worship.

So, do you think communion at home (without a “validly ordained minister”) can be valid, as long as it done with the right attitude and reverence?

#2

Absolutely! I have often communed with my wife in this way, and sometimes with one or two others. Only we did it on Sunday.

Jesus asked his disciples to remember Him by taking the bread and the wine. He said nothing about it having to be carried out or overseen by a “validly ordained minister.” People add a lot of man-made traditions to the traditions which Christ established.

#3

Agreed!

Sonia

#4

I agree wholeheartedly with Paidion and Sonia (and you.)

While the Bible gives us and example of how often communion was taken, I haven’t seen where it is proscribed to do it more often. Aside from Paul’s injunctions about manner and attitude during observance, the Bible simple says to take communion in remembrance of Him and that as often as we partake of the Lord’s Supper we proclaim his death until He comes.

I think it’s a wonderful tradition to start in your family.

#5

Here is every usage of koinonia 2842, the word used for communion.

Act 2:42 NASB - They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship[2842], to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Rom 15:26 NASB - For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution[2842] for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
1Cr 1:9 NASB - God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship[2842] with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1Cr 10:16 NASB - Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing[2842] in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing[2842] in the body of Christ?
2Cr 6:14 NASB - Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship[2842] has light with darkness?
2Cr 8:4 NASB - begging us with much urging for the favor of participation[2842] in the support of the saints,
2Cr 9:13 NASB - Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution[2842] to them and to all,
2Cr 13:14 NASB - The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship[2842] of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Gal 2:9 NASB - and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship[2842], so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
Phl 1:5 NASB - in view of your participation[2842] in the gospel from the first day until now.
Phl 2:1 NASB - Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship[2842] of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
Phl 3:10 NASB - that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship[2842] of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
Phm 1:6 NASB - and I pray that the fellowship[2842] of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you [G1473]] for Christ’s sake.
Hbr 13:16 NASB - And do not neglect doing good and sharing[2842], for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
1Jo 1:3 NASB - what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship[2842] with us; and indeed our fellowship[2842] is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
1Jo 1:6 NASB - If we say that we have fellowship[2842] with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
1Jo 1:7 NASB - but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship[2842] with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

communion=fellowship
the Lords supper is a meal where fellowship is shared

#6

We were snowed in today (!) and so had communion at home this morning while watching the Easter Service in Coventry Cathedral on the BBC. It was quite an experience.
Happy Easter everyone!

#7

Susan StoHelit, have I told you how much I love your pseudonym? :wink:

We have communion every time we get together, which is most Saturday evenings. (“We” being our little body of believers who meet from house to house.) We don’t always bring out the bread and the wine per se, but originally communion was a full meal, after all, shared amongst believers. And from time to time, we do have a more ceremonial communion as well. It was in an effort to stem heretical teachings from invading the church that it was first commanded (by one of the early church fathers on his way to his martyrdom – whose name has mysteriously gone from me) that communion might not be taken without a bishop to preside over it.

And look how well that worked . . . .

It seems to me that, aside from enduring hardship together, eating together regularly is one of the best ways to become one family, one bride, one body – as He desired for us to be.

Love, Cindy

#8

I think there are traditions at home that have a place. But as a lifelong Protestant of many denominations, I think the error of Protestantism as a whole is “Jesus is my backpack”. Jesus himself sought fellowship. Steel sharpens steel, and whatever missteps the church as a whole and organizationally has made, it is not strengthened by our withdrawal. Nor are we.

We are told to “submit yourselves one to another”. Western culture (and especially it’s American subculture) has become distortingly individualistic, and that virus has unquestionably infected our faith.

I’m reminded of the old saw “I love humanity, it’s the people I can’t stand.”. Christ’s message was less about our INDIVIDUAL salvation - it was more about our communal salvation through loving sacrificially and living in community. If you are taking “communion” in “isolation”, I think it could be a potential step toward being disconnected from the (flawed, error-prone, oft misguided and always human) Body of Christ. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your mind and all your soul. Certainly. But be wary of what might become an opportunity to avoid so much as interacting with your neighbor, much less loving them as yourself.

#9

where two or three are gathered in my name…

#10

Btw Nottrib I’m not advocating seclusionism. We are meant to be in community, thus the word commun-ion.

#11

You misunderstand me, Nottirbd. We go to an American Baptist Church every Sunday, partake of Communion every time it is offered there. We plan to start attending the sunday School series that begins this next Sunday on biblical interpretation (we actually attended the last three part series they had on the church, but they were on a break due to Easter). As a newlywed couple, though (Three weeks ago last Saturday! :smiley: ), we are looking for ways we can grow spiritually together as well, and perhaps even carry on to our family if, God willing, we are given children.

There re many different levels that God interacts with us, I believe. as individuals, as families, as congregations, as the Church (the entireity of the body of believers around the Globe), etc. We wish to enrich the bond that God has given us by having Christ-centered traditions as well. Tradition is not the antithesis of true faith, as many Protestants suppose, but can enrich it as long as it is not “repugnant to Scripture” (to quote the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Anglican Communion, in which Baptists find their heritage through their seperation of the Church of England).

#12

I get it. If the warning is not applicable, then don’t apply it.

#13

Just curious, but what liturgy do you use when you do this? Last time my wife and I did this (on Maundy Thursday, since we were unable to go to Church), I simply read 1 Corinthians 11:27-31, then we had a moment of silence to examine ourselves, then we read 1 Cor 11:23-24, partook the bread, read 1 Cor 11:25-26, and then partook of the wine, then prayed. In my attempt to be simple, I made it where it seemed incomplete to me.

I put together a liturgy for next time that follows the structure of the Book of Common Prayer (USA version, 1979). I used some of the BCP prayers, and some from the Ken Collins website (kencollins.com/worship/pray-32.htm). I like this quite a bit more. I will attach the liturgy to this post.
CommunionLiturgy.doc (19.5 KB)