The ceremony of communion commemorates
that last supper of Christ with his disciples before the crucifixion.
I Corinthians 11:23 - 34
23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered
unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24. And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this
is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25.
After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This
cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in
remembrance of me. 26. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this
cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. 27. Wherefore whosoever
shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty
of the body and blood of the Lord. 28. But let a man examine himself,
and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29. For he that
eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not
discerning the Lord's body. 30. For this cause many are weak and sickly
among you, and many sleep. 31. For if we would judge ourselves, we should
not be judged. 32. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord,
that we should not be condemned with the world. 33. Wherefore, my brethren,
when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. 34. And if any man
hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And
the rest will I set in order when I come.
"It is
tempting to believe that the holy meal belongs to the church. But Paul's warning
to the Corinthian church suggests that it is not our holy meal to which we invite
others but Christ's meal — the Lord's Supper — to which we are invited.
That is, we are not the host of the meal; Jesus Christ is our host. He invites
us to his supper so that we may be joined with him and with one another around
his table."
--From E. Byron Anderson's "The Meaning of Holy Communion in the United
Methodist Church"
Chillicothe UMC Schedule of Communion Services for 2003:
Sunday, January 5
Sunday, February 5
Sunday, March 2
Wednesday, March 5 - Ash Wednesday
Sunday, April 6
Thursday, April 17 - Maundy Thursday
Sunday, May 4
Sunday, June 8
Sunday, July 6 (tentative)
Sunday, August 3
Sunday, September 7 - Labor Day Sunday
Sunday, October 5 -World Communion Sunday
Sunday, November 2
Sunday, December 7
Wednesday, December 24 - Christmas Eve“This Holy Mystery”: A United Methodist Understanding of Holy Communion
Invitation to the Lord's Table
Principle:
The risen Christ invites to his Table those who seek to live as Christian disciples. The invitation to the Table is an invitation to a personal and lasting relationship with God through Jesus Christ. As circumcision was the sign of belonging in the Old Covenant, baptism is the sign of belonging in the New Covenant. Baptism, therefore, normally precedes partaking of Holy Communion. Unbaptized people who receive Communion should be counseled and nurtured toward baptism as soon as possible.Everyone who has received Christian baptism is welcome at the Table in a United Methodist congregation. This includes people of any age. The invitation is also to those with physical and mental disabilities.
Background:
The invitation to Holy Communion in Services of Word and Table I and II proclaims, "Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another." (The United Methodist Hymnal,, page 71) The more traditional wording in Service IV invites, "Ye that do truly and earnestly repent of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbors, and intend to lead a new life following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways ..." (The United Methodist Hymnal, page 262).According to By Water and the Spirit: A United Methodist Understanding of Baptism, "The Services of the Baptismal Covenant appropriately conclude with Holy Communion, through which the union of the new member with the Body of Christ is most fully expressed." (The Book of Resolutions 2000, page 814.) The concluding rubrics of the services make clear that this applies to people of all ages.
By Water and the Spirit also addresses the matter of what is called the "open table" and John Wesley's mention of the sacrament as "a converting ordinance": "Because the table at which we gather belongs to the Lord, it shall be open to all who respond to Christ's love, regardless of age or church membership. The Wesleyan tradition has always recognized that Holy Communion may be an occasion for the reception of converting, justifying, and sanctifying grace. Unbaptized persons who receive communion should be counseled and nurtured toward baptism as soon as possible" (The Book of Resolutions 2000, page 814).
Practice:
The church has a grave responsibility to provide ongoing nurture and education about the sacrament of Holy Communion to all its people. Those who are baptized as infants need continual teaching that is appropriate to their ages as they mature in faith. Those who come into membership later in life must be taught the significance of the sacrament in their personal faith journey and in the life of the congregation and larger Christian community.Unbaptized people will not be turned away from the Table, but they must be enabled to understand both sacraments and why baptism into the body of Christ appropriately precedes participating in the body's Holy Meal of Communion.
United Methodism and its predecessor denominations have reacted strongly against the practice of some other Christian groups whose Communion Tables are closed to other Christians. All people who have received Christian baptism are welcome to participate in the sacrament in United Methodist congregations. The 2000 General Conference declared that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) is not to be considered a Christian church and that its baptism is not Christian baptism (The Book of Resolutions 2000, page 115).
When Holy Communion is served as part of a "Service of Christian Marriage" or a Service of Death and Resurrection," it should be offered to all baptized Christians who are present (The United Methodist Book of Worship, pages 115 and 150).
The Presence of Christ in the Eucharist
Principle:
The Triune God, who has given the sacraments to the church, acts in and through Holy Communion. Jesus Christ is really and truly present in Holy Communion through the Word proclaimed and enacted, the elements of bread and wine/juice (1 Corinthians 11:23-26), and the gathered community of faith (Luke 22:14-20). Exactly how Christ is present is a mystery, but the divine presence is an immediate reality, not just a remembrance of his past work.The Triune God is always at work in Holy Communion. Christ's presence in the sacrament is a promise to the church, and it is not dependent upon the personal feelings of members of the congregation. Consequently, Holy Communion is always a means of grace, although those who partake must receive and respond to the grace offered in the sacrament.
Background:
The Christian Church has struggled through the centuries to understand just how Christ is present in the Eucharist. Arguments and divisions have occurred over the matter. The Wesleyan tradition affirms the reality of Christ's presence, although it does not claim to be able to explain it fully. One of the 166 hymns that John and Charles Wesley wrote about Holy Communion perhaps expresses it best — number 627 in The United Methodist Hymnal, "O The Depth of Love Divine" (stanzas one and four):O the depth of love divine,
the unfathomable grace!
Who shall say how bread and wine
God into us conveys!
How the bread his flesh imparts,
how the wine transmits his blood,
fills his faithful people's hearts
with all the life of God!
Sure and real is the grace,
the manner be unknown;
only meet us in thy ways
and perfect us in one.
Let us taste the heavenly powers,
Lord, we ask for nothing more.
Thine to bless,
'tis only ours to wonder and adore.Practice:
The presence of God in the Eucharist does not depend upon the adequacy of the celebrant. Nevertheless, pastors must be well-trained (both in seminary or course of study and in continuing education) in the theology of Eucharist and in how most effectively to use proclamation, ritual, gestures, postures, and material signs to convey the full meaning of the sacrament.It is essential that church members be taught understandings and practices of Holy Communion. Bishops, elders, deacons, pastors, Sunday school teachers, seminary professors, and others are responsible for faithful execution of the church's teaching office.
Those who take Holy Communion are sent from the Table to be the body of Christ in ministry as Christ's presence in the world. God's people are sent to work for justice and peace. Such work requires subversive actions; "renounc[ing] the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject[ing] the evil powers of this world;" "accept[ing] the freedom and power God gives ... to resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves"(vows from the Services of the Baptismal Covenant); claiming and making real the victory of the risen Christ over all evil, sin, and death. Such faithful living in the power of the Holy Spirit answers the prayer in the Great Thanksgiving "that we may be for the world the body of Christ" and the petition "your kingdom come, your will be done" in the Lord's Prayer (United Methodist Hymnal, page 10).
Presiding at the Table and Ministerial Order
Principle:
An ordained elder is the normative presider at celebrations of Holy Communion.Background:
Elders are ordained to the ministry of service, word, sacrament, and order (The Book of Discipline, 2000, ¶ 323). In administering the sacraments, they elders function in the church as priests, fulfilling the traditional priestly role of mediator between human beings and God. Elders have been designated as those who represent Christ to the church, the church to God, and the local congregation and the universal church to each other. These understandings are in accord with the ecumenical tradition and the contemporary ecumenical movement.John Wesley drew a sharp distinction between the preaching ministry, which was open to lay men and women, and the priestly ministry of administering the sacraments, which was to be exercised only by those ordained as priests.
Deacons are ordained to the ministry of word and service, (¶ 320) and charged to "give leadership in the Church's life ... in [among other ways] assisting the elders in the administration of the sacraments ... " (¶ 319).
Probationary members and local pastors who are appointed and licensed are authorized to administer the sacraments in the charges to which they are appointed (¶ 341). This practice, in effect since 1972, enables the sacraments to be served regularly in many small congregations that do not have elders as their pastors.
Practice:
When available to do so, an elder should preside at all celebrations of Holy Communion. While some portions of the order of worship may be led by others, the elder should always lead the congregation in praying The Great Thanksgiving, in which the whole assembly takes an active role (see the "Sanctus Benedictus," "acclamation," and the "Amen" (United Methodist Hymnal, pages 9-10).Probationary members and local pastors should be well-prepared in eucharistic theology and practice so they may lead lead Holy Communion effectively. An elder should supervise the sacramental ministry.
Deacons have a significant role in preparing for the service by organizing, assembling the necessary elements and containers, and making assignments for other participants, including those taking the Meal to the unwillingly absent. They should also assist in the distribution of the elements. Deacons are designated to serve as links between the church and the world. Their ministry very appropriately includes taking the consecrated elements from their congregations to their places of ministry and serving them on the same day as the congregational celebration.
Professing members of the congregation may distribute the consecrated elements in the congregation and extend them to members who are unavoidably absent. An elder should offer appropriate training and preparation for this important task (¶ 331.1b). Professing members should be well-prepared for this ministry and supervised by an elder.
Frequency of Celebration of Holy Communion
Principle:
The normative service of Christian worship is Word and Table — the gospel is proclaimed in both word and sacrament. Those seeking to live lives of Christian discipleship have constant need of the nourishment and sustenance made available in Holy Communion.Background:
The practice of the Christian church from its earliest years was weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper on the Lord's Day. Many of the bodies within Christendom have continued this pattern. John Wesley was highly critical of the infrequency of Communion in the Church of England of his day, and he exhorted his followers to practice "constant Communion." In America, for decades, the scarcity of ordained pastors made it difficult, if not impossible, for churches in the Wesleyan tradition to observe the Lord's Supper as a part of regular Sunday worship. Since 1972, United Methodism has been recovering the fullness of Word and Table as the pattern for weekly worship on the Lord's Day.Practice:
Congregations of The United Methodist Church are encouraged to move toward a richer sacramental life, including weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper on the Lord's Day as advocated by the general orders of Sunday worship in The United Methodist Hymnal and The Book of Worship. The sacrament can also be celebrated appropriately on other occasions in the life of the church from the congregational to the denominational level. Revivals, services of daily praise and prayer, love feasts, and services on other days are examples of worship occasions that might not include Communion.The Communion Elements
Principle:
The use of bread is essential for faithfulness to the Christian tradition and to present the fullness of symbol and meaning.Background:
Bread is used in both the New Testament and Old Testament to signify God's sustenance of human beings and the importance of eating together. The provision of manna and the showbread kept in the tabernacle are examples from the time of Israel's wandering in the wilderness. In the New Testament, Jesus eats frequently with his disciples and with others. He feeds the multitudes, uses bread to signify his identity and mission, and shares Passover meals with his disciples. After his Resurrection, he breaks bread with the travelers to Emmaus and with his disciples on the seashore.Practice:
The bread eaten in Holy Communion should both look and taste like bread. The use of a whole loaf best signifies the unity of the church as the body of Christ and, when it is broken, the crucifixion of Christ. In respect for cultural differences, bread may be made from grains other than wheat. The loaf should be simple bread, without spices, frostings, nuts, raisins, or other additions. The loaf broken at the table is to be the bread distributed to the people. Care should be taken to avoid excessive crumbling of the bread and to remove large crumbs that fall to the floor.Principle:
The juice of the red grape in a common cup most clearly and fully represents the church's covenant with Christ, established through his atoning death.Background:
Throughout the Old Testament story of God's relationship with the Hebrew people, blood was the sign of covenant. At his last meal with the disciples, Jesus spoke of the wine as his blood — the blood of the new covenant between God and God's people made possible through Christ's death and resurrection. Jesus speaks, also, of the wine as a sign of the heavenly banquet that he will celebrate with the church in the future.Practice:
Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and many Protestant denominations have always used wine in the Eucharist. During the movement against beverage alcohol in the late nineteenth century, American Methodism turned to the use of unfermented grape juice. This continues to be the official practice of The United Methodist Church (The Book of Resolutions 2000 , page 838). The use of a common chalice best represents Christian unity, but individual cups are used in many congregations, often because of health concerns.After the Service
Principle:
The Communion elements should be consecrated and consumed in the context of the gathered congregation. The Table may be extended on the day of celebration to include those unable to attend because of age, infirmity, or other conditions. Laypeople who are trained for this ministry may distribute the elements (2000 Discipline, ¶¶ 331.1b and 1115.9).Background:
The Christian church has long recognized that those who are unavoidably absent from congregational celebrations of the Lord's Supper need to be given access to the sacrament.Practice:
On such an occasion, the liturgy should include the reading of Scripture lesson(s), invitation, confession and pardon, the peace, distribution, Lord's Prayer, and post-Communion prayer. Elders, deacons, and laity may use this liturgy. A prayer of Great Thanksgiving should not be repeated, since this service is an extension of the Communion service held earlier in the day.If Holy Communion is to be celebrated in a home or sickroom on a day when the congregation has not gathered at table, the liturgy of Word and Table V should be used by an elder or another who is licensed to preside.
Principle:
The consecrated elements are representative of the body and blood of Christ. Although they have undergone no substantive (physical) change, they are to be treated with reverent respect and appreciation for the gifts of God's creation that have, in the words of the Great Thanksgiving, become "for us the body and blood of Christ" (The United Methodist Hymnal, page 10).Background:
John Wesley wanted to avoid any suggestion that the bread and juice used in Communion had been transformed or transubstantiated into other substances. Article of Religion XVIII states, "The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshiped." This does not imply that elements, which have served as signs of Christ's body and blood, are to be treated in ways that do not honor their consecration.Practice:
The elements of bread and wine should be disposed of by: (1) setting them aside for distribution on that same day to the sick and others wishing to commune but unable to attend; (2) consuming them in a reverent manner by the pastor and/or others at the pastor's direction following the service; (3) returning them to the earth by pouring, burying, scattering, or burning.
• • •
1From "A Service of Word and Table I" © 1972, 1980, 1985, 1989, The United Methodist Publishing House. Used with permission.2From "A Service of Word and Table IV" © 1957 Board of Publication, Evangelical United Brethren Church; © 1964, 1965, 1989, The United Methodist Publishing House. Used with permission.
Copyright © 2002 the General Board of Discipleship. Any local church or United Methodist agency may reprint any or all of this page as long as the following copyright notice appears: Copyright © 2002 the General Board of Discipleship. Used with permission.
