beaconchurches

This church we are worshiping with right now has a great heart and sweet spirit. Communion services have been warm and beautiful. Folks have been complaining, “a whole month is way too long to wait and break bread together”. The board has been questioning why Baptists wait a whole month to break bread. A Baptist church down the street does it 2x's a year. Some fellowships do it weekly with a food fellowship to follow; that's what we are thinking of doing.

Does anyone know why most Baptist churches celebrate the Lord's Supper on the 1st Sunday of the month? I'm wondering if that reason is from a previous generation and some fellowships in this day present a different need.

Any thoughts?

chip.

Chip
Our church does communion once a quarter,but only had it on special occasions when I first came. Another church I pastored had communion once a month. But the real answer to your question is one word "TRADITION" kind of like the song from "Fiddler on the roof " the movie. Its what someone saw as a good practice some time ago. Most likely no one remembers who or when, "but we have always done it that way." So go ahead "Move the Cheese" and start a new Tradtion.

Ehud

Every church I have been a member of has been a Baptist church and NONE of them have celebrated communion the same. The church I grew up in held communion only once a year, it was extremely closed on the Wednesday before Easter. It was held in near silence and the pastor asked that everyone go to their homes and not speak but meditate on the meaning of the service till morning.

The second was a mission and never held communion at all. The third I only recall once and I don't remember any of the details such as how often but I do remember that the pastor was neither open nor closed but "close."

The church I'm a member of now has written into the bi-laws four times a year on the first Sunday of the quarter. In addition we hold communion services on Maudy Thursday and Christmas Eve. The Christmas Eve service is a family service with the pastor serving and the attendees coming to the communion table as families. We have an open communion. But the previous two pastors only held communion on the first Sundays of June and September and let the Maudy Thursday and Christmas Eve services suffice for the Winter and Spring communions. They also let each father as head of his household serve to his family.

So, Chip, I can't understand why the churches you are familiar with all hold communion on the first Sunday of every month because none of the ones I have been in have held communion on the first Sunday of every month but more at the whim of the writers of the bi-laws or the present pastor.

My understanding is that it all started as a rejection of the practice of holding communion every Sunday as the sacramentalists do. Our Baptist forebears seem to have rejected it as mere ritual that had lost it's meaning. I suspect they had something with that. Since the Catholics did it every week and it lost it's meaning it seems it was decided to do it as little as possible in order to make it more meaningful when it is done. I would have to question not doing it at all, since it was commanded by Christ, and seems to have been practiced regularly and often by the early church.

As I was growing up, the churches my father pastored generally held communion once a quarter and sometimes on special occasions. Once I moved to the east coast I discovered all the churches here with which I am familiar hold communion on the first Sunday of every month. I think DrEhud was exactly right. Rather than any real theological reasons for using one or another of these schedules, most churches just seem to do it however they've done it before, or like the churches around them.

Thanks all for experiences and insights. I am serious about moving some cheese. We are thankful for a church questioning traditions (sorry Tevvy). Every Baptist church I have been a part of celebrated it the 1st Sunday. That’s East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast. I wanted to check the theology of it, the recent history among Baptists, and the logistics of actually doing it (who it will it fall on to set-up, serve, and clean up?).

2 months ago we celebrated communion on our knees. We often sing Let Us Break Bread Together on Our Knees; why not do it? We had a small table with wheels near the stage. The young people all got on their knees. The older people sat in the first row of chairs and reverently leaned forward. It was the most beautiful service I had ever been a part of. I asked if someone felt led to give thanks for the loaf. An aged person did. A teenager prayed for the cup. I couldn’t have orchestrated that better. In my short tenure I have learned to talk to the “little-old-lady” Sunday school class ahead of time. They always appreciate being a part of decision making. 9 out of 10 times they are for whatever we do. They just don’t always want to be a part of it.

Currently I am thinking about doing communion every other week for 2 months, just to see how it goes and feels. I have several weeks before we may decide. I could even table that decision another month.

Some folks mentioned Baptists may do it less-weekly to be less Catholic and Anglican. They celebrated less to be more reverent for the ordinance and make it more special. They didn’t want to take it for granted. I can’t remember if Episcopalians celebrated communion each week.

I love this passage of the church’s founding:

Acts 2:37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (boldly preaching good news)
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (conversion growth)
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship (Family), to the breaking of bread (communion/eating together) and to prayer (talking to God). 43 Everyone was filled with awe (live church!), and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles (power of God present). 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common (spirit of giving). 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need (sacrifice). 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts (church not 1 hour a week). They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, (familial spirit) 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people (faith-filled reputation). And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Praise God for deep conversion growth)

We are racking our brains for meaningful ways to celebrate communion without compromising the awe and wonder of the solemn act.

1 more thought: we are pretty settled to whether we have an open or closed communion. We are talking about the issue of kids taking communion. One church where I pastored was dead against children (pre-Baptism) taking part in the service. When I read about the Lord’s Supper, which has its roots in the Passover/Seder meal, I see kids not only a part of the meal but the meal is geared for them. When the children ask “why we do this?” the leader is to explain how “God took us out of Egypt”. The children may speak of adult descendants but in the modern Seder meal, kids are very active in it. I do know there were no children present when Jesus broke bread to talk about a “New Covenant”, but to imply he was excluding kids from partaking in the meal seems a tad stretchy. He championed the idea of the kingdom of God being for kids.

Any thoughts?
chip.

From another forum upon which I have promised not to post: The thread relates to Women in Ministry, but I thought it would fit here as well.
Lamar Wadsworth writes:

A few years back, a pastor friend near Baltimore asked me to supply for him on the Sunday of 4th of July weekend. The pastor is as moderate as I am, the church probably a little more conservative. Being the first Sunday of the month, it was also communion. When it was time to serve communion, the usual contingent of a half-dozen gray-haired men, probably none under 60, took their places on the front pew. Before the service, a very bright, outgoing little girl named Emily, who was about 7 or 8, not a bashful bone in her body, introduced herself to me and told me that she had just been baptized the Sunday before. This was totally spontaneous--I asked Emily to come up to the communion table with me, and I told the congregation, "Emily told me before the service that she was just baptized last Sunday. Today is her first time to take the bread and the cup, yet she is as well-qualified to serve it as I am." I whispered to Emily to just follow my lead. She helped me remove and fold the cloths covering the table and helped me hand the trays to the half-dozen old men who served the congregation. Then, I had Emily serve the bread to the half-dozen old men, and I followed her serving them the cup. I served communion to her, then knelt in front of her (being more than twice her height) and let her serve me. Without prompting, she spoke the same words I had used in serving her, "This helps us remember Jesus who died for us," spoken in a clear, confident voice that was easily picked up by my lapel mike. Not a dry eye in the house. I learned after the service that both of Emily's grandfathers were among the half-dozen old men on the front row. That church now has women deacons

love
Art

Just a few more thoughts. I've grown up Baptist all my life and again, every church seemed to have communion once a month. The church I currently serve changed it's style of communion a few years back. While still held 1x/month, church members come forward to receive the bread and cup from the deacons (although some of the older folks remain in their seats and have the deacons come to them). The praise team/musicians play appropriate music in the backgroud while people come forward. The senior pastor is available off to the side to pray with people who come forward as needed (I am available too as well as some other church leaders but we don't have usually have huge #s for this). It seems to work really well as a supplement to an altar call, which we have occasionally as well - depending on the sermon. People tend to be more comfortable coming forward to express a need for prayer, a decision for Christ, recommittment etc. when everyone else is going foward too. It is also a natural time for people examine their hearts and thus they are often are more ready to recognize spiritual needs then. This style of communion is more meaningful for me and I prefer it this way as a general participant. That said, it drives me crazy when I am called to lead communion - if I am preaching that day or the sr. pastor is on vacation. I am much more comfortable using the routine and ritual I grew up with from that perspective.

"Lead Me to Calvary"

Thanks RCW. I will be brainstorming different ways of sharing communion. This group is an "old first" anomaly. They are stretching traditions in nice ways. Rev C has people come forward. Has anyone else had some different ways to celebrate this ordinance? I'll share them with our worship group.

Every Maundy Thursday I shape the long tables in the church or fellowship hall into a cross.
I usually put a basin with a towel to discuss Jesus washing the disciples feet. After that we break bread. This gives an opportunity to place pitchers of 'wine' and small baskets of bread throughout the table. I like to use clear pitchers and cups to see the red glisten with the candles. I tell them to take a healthy chunk of bread . I play soft acoustic style music between each section. After reference to foot washing and taking communion, we remember Jesus' death. On the table I strategically place 7 candles with the seven last words of Christ on the cross on 3X5 cards. After each card is read, someone will distinguish a light. Potentially you have 14 participants right there. After, remind them of Easter--the resurrection, the giving of the Holy Spirit, and the hope of heaven. It's a good commercial for Easter service too.

There's nothing to stop anyone from celebrating like this any time of the year. Why should we only do this on Maundy Thursday?

Jesus said as often as we do this we remember his death until he comes. Let's share this cup of thanksgiving with joy.
chip.