An Experiment in Discernment

How often should a congregation celebrate the sacrament of Communion? It’s not an easy question to ask because there are so many varieties of preferences and so many reasons for them.

I honestly cannot recall how frequently we “had the Lord’s Supper” in the church of my childhood. But I do recall being excluded from it. I have a distinct visual memory of having the plate pass me by. That experience as a child was a key motivator for my seeking to be baptized.

I grew up in the Baptist tradition, which affirms believer’s baptism. One would not be baptized until one made a “personal profession of faith.” In order to make that profession, I received lots of nurturing from some wonderful people. They did their job so well that I was ready to affirm my love for Jesus when I was barely seven years old. That was truly the reason for my “profession of faith” – not being able to “take the Lord’s Supper.”

Ever since then, I’ve been acutely aware of what it means to exclude children from the Lord’s Table. I became even more acutely aware when our then almost eight year old son expressed the same exclusion. It was a moment I will never forget, and probably had much to do with my movement toward the Presbyterian tradition and away from the Baptist.

            Baptists would say that Communion is a memorial supper. The bread and cup remind us of Jesus. They are like object lessons – you might even say souvenirs – that trigger the memory of a story. Such an interpretation requires a level of understanding and comprehension, hence the typical Baptist reasoning for why children are excluded. They do not yet understand fully what it means to partake.

Presbyterians would say that, even though we do not affirm the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, the living and risen Christ is truly present whenever we celebrate the sacrament of Communion. That truth is inherent in the word sacrament – which is an outward sign of an invisible grace. Sacraments take ordinary things, like water and bread and wine, and make them holy through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we receive the bread and cup, we receive the living presence of Christ. Just how that happens is a mystery we can never fully understand – no matter our age.

Sometimes I wonder if the desire to limit our celebrations comes from too much attention to our human ability to understand it. If it truly is a “sacrament” – a genuine experience of the real presence of Christ, would we not seek that encounter as often as we could?

At Seneca Presbyterian Church, we are investigating the possibility of increasing our opportunities to celebrate Communion. I’m grateful that our practice now is monthly – on the first Sunday of the month. For many, that frequency is just fine. It is often enough to highlight the importance of the sacrament, but not so often that it becomes “routine.” Others at Seneca Presbyterian have come from traditions where weekly celebration is the norm – which by the way is not limited to just the Catholic tradition. They affirm the spiritual refreshment and renewal that comes from each experience of the grace of God regardless of the frequency.

John Calvin believed in the unity of Word and Sacrament. One is not complete without the other. Presbyterians have a wonderful way of expressing this truth. We receive the Word written through scripture, the Word proclaimed through preaching, and the Word sealed and enacted through the sacraments. It is a powerful movement from listening to acting; from passive worship to active engagement. Word and Sacrament together represent worship that is whole and complete.

It was the pattern of worship for the first Christians, and Calvin argued for it in Geneva, where he led the work of reformation. For although the Mass was celebrated weekly by the priests in the Roman Catholic tradition, in the 16^th century it was only offered to the people once a year. Calvin lost the argument to the magistrates of the city. Moving from once to four times was quite sufficient in their minds. Calvin noted his disappointment with that decision for all who would follow: “I have taken care to record publicly that our custom is defective, so that those who come after me may be able to correct it the more freely and easily.”

So we are investigating the option. Our experiment will be small. We will try weekly Communion at just our 9:00 service for the eight Sundays between Easter and Trinity Sunday. We will talk about our experience and share our reflections. Then we will discern together what is best for the community of Seneca Presbyterian.

What reflections would you have to offer?