Celebration of
the Lord’s Supper – Form 1
Preparation and Invitation
Brothers and
sisters, there are many in the Church today who err by diminishing the
importance of coming to the Lord’s Table, and those who err by exalting the
Table as the most sacred and vital aspect of all of Sunday worship. Some only
celebrate this sacrament once or twice a year, while others partake every week.
Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted this sacrament of His body and blood, and
said, “this cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as
you drink it, in remembrance of Me”. That we should partake often is clear, but
how often the Lord has left to the discretion of the elders in His churches.
The solemn
self-examination that is impressed upon all participants of the Lord’s Supper
militates against partaking every week, as the examination required is specific
to this sacrament, such that this is an extra-ordinary self-examination,
remembrance, and proclamation of the Lord’s death. It is not identical to what
we should do every week in preparation for Sunday/Lord’s Day worship, nor is it
an ordinary aspect of Lord’s Day worship. To be in a constant state of extra-ordinary
self-examination, week in and week out, may weary, lead to unhealthy doubt, and
undermine the very purpose of the examination for Holy Communion – to strengthen
our faith by partaking as a proclamation that we do indeed have forgiveness of
sins and new life in joyful fellowship with Christ’s redeemed body through His
atoning blood. Nor may we make light of
the call to this special self-examination by doing little of it due to the
frequency of partaking.
Those who commune
infrequently, only a few times a year, run the risk of making the examination
either an overwhelming and unreachable burden, or an esoteric experience for
only the elite Christian. Examination should not be aimed at casting doubt and
stoking fear, but rather confirming and strengthening faith and joy in the Lord
through examination.
Therefore, it
seems best that we partake of Holy Communion frequently, regularly, but not
weekly, with a reasonable, orderly pattern, for God has designed us in His
image to function in rhythm with appointed times and seasons (Gen. 1:14). Each
week, on the first day of the week, we are commanded to assemble together in
worship as the people of God, on the day which Jesus rose from the grave, as a
true remembrance of His resurrection and the resurrection life we have entered
into. This weekly rhythm is the bedrock of Christian worship.
In the Old
Testament, Israel likewise regularly gathered to worship the Lord, and yet
there was not a “covenant renewal” ceremony every week. Feast meals and pilgrimages
to Jerusalem were required, and there was the annual high and holy Day of
Atonement, but the blessings and curses of the covenant were not laid out in a
formal way each and every Sabbath Day to God’s people, even though undoubtedly
all of Scripture and worship brings forth the covenant in Christ’s blood, along
with its duties.
The Lord’s
Supper was instituted during the occasion of Passover, during the week-long
Feast of Unleavened Bread, and not on the Lord’s Day or even the regular Jewish
Sabbath day. Thus, non-weekly partaking of the Lord’s Supper is in keeping with
the Passover pattern, and the unique “remembering” and “proclaiming” that is
occurring in this New Testament covenant renewal ceremony is to be done “often”
now that our Lord has ascended on high and poured out the fulness of His Spirit
on His redeemed bride.
The Lord’s
Supper is distinct from the “regular/daily bread” hearing, remembering, and
proclaiming we are called to each and every Sabbath Day/on Sundays. This is seen
when Deut. 5:12-15 tells us the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord, and that
Israel must “Observe the Sabbath day…remember that you were a
slave in the land of Egypt”. And yet in Deut. 16:1ff. there is also the special
command to “observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the LORD your
God, for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by
night…remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt”.
Israel had a
weekly Sabbath/remembrance of deliverance from Egypt by God’s mighty arm, and
an annual/occasional remembrance of the day and manner in which God delivered
them from Egypt, which required the offering and eating of the Passover
sacrifice (Deut. 16:2). Christ is our sacrificed Passover lamb (I Cor. 5:7),
and while there is a regular remembrance of our deliverance in Christ in our
weekly worship, there must also be an occasional, special, ceremonial remembrance
that is preferably not weekly but set apart and dedicated specifically for “proclaiming
the Lord’s Death until He comes,” (I Cor. 11:26), which is the Lord’s Supper.
Partaking of
the Lord’s Supper on some but not all Lord’s Days/Sundays maintains both its
connection to and distinction from weekly Lord’s Day worship and the occasional/seasonal
covenant renewal nature of this sacrament that requires special reflection and examination.
So as you prepare this week to come to the Table of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, understand that this sacred ceremony of Holy Communion is not an addendum
or afterthought to weekly worship, nor is it something that transcends,
supersedes, or supplants weekly worship, but indeed it is another, distinct gift
and blessing from God, governed by Christ’s words of institution, that God uses
as a means of grace for His people who partake worthily, to grow us into Christ
our Head.
Prayer
Let us pray:
Heavenly
Father, help us to not dilute this special means of grace which we are now
preparing for, but rather help us understand the special blessing that is Holy
Communion. Prepare our hearts and minds for partaking of Christ’s body and
blood on this special and solemn occasion, as a unique and peculiar remembering
and proclaiming of our Lord’s atoning death, and as a renewed, faithful
commitment to take up our cross and follow after Christ as our Lord and Savior,
loving Him and His body the Church in each and every aspect of our lives.
It is in the
name of Your precious Lamb that was slain as our Passover that we pray, Amen.
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