We Need A Communion Revival!

 

In an attempt to distance ourselves from Roman Catholicism, Protestants in history tended to downplay the other sacraments or mysteries that the Church practiced. Martin Luther recognized only two sacraments: Baptism and The Lord's Supper, known also as The Eucharist and The Communion. Most churches observe Baptism, to become a member of the Body of Christ it is seen as a fufillment of the words of The Apostle Paul, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." (Romans 10:9-10). That you are confessing your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord before witnesses. However, the Second Sacrament, Holy Communion is not emphasized equally in all denominations. Anglicans, Lutherans, and mostly High Churches practice The Communion every Sabbath, every Sunday Service, making it the center piece aside from the Sermon or Homily. The reason for this is that The Communion was instituted by our Lord Jesus who at The Passover Meal said, "He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me  In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." (Luke 22:19-20). In those words not only did Jesus our Lord reveal His New Covenant in His broken body and blood outpouring at the cross, He says "do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19)

Denominations have fought over what transpires at Communion. Martin Luther believed as the Roman Catholics did, in Transubstantiation, that Jesus is physically and literally present in the Sacrament of the Bread and Wine, while Zwingli taught it was simply symbolism, a memorial like the Passover only it was New Testament instituted, and not as lengthy as the Passover. Brucer taught that Christ's presence is literally felt in the act of the Communion. All of them missing the point, what you believe in those respects is not the essential, the essential is remembering, which the Apostle Paul affirms, "For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,  and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes again." (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). The importance is to Remember and Proclaim the Lord's Death until He Returns. I remember being a child in Church, and The Communion, which was too infrequent in my Evangelical Church of the time, felt very solemn, and it was the one guaranteed time you heard about Jesus as The Lamb of God, His blood poured out for all our sins for all time (Hebrews, Chapter Nine). I also felt it was special, and yet as was the case in many Evangelical, Non-Denominational, and Charismatic Churches, it was only done one Sunday in the Month. This is a shame, because it is a memorial that we are suppose to do as often as we gather. 

We need a Communion Revival, just as the Catholics are doing The Eucharistic Revival, we Protestants need to have The Communion Revival, to make The Communion a weekly event in our services. What can be more important than remembering Our Lord's Great Love and Sacrifice for us?! What spiritual warfare that does as a reminder that God Loves us and is Love (1 John 4:18). To help adults, adolescents, and children all participate in the sacred ritual to remember Jesus' Death until He Comes Again! Why do we lapse in this? Why do we allow false arguments that say "it will cost too much to have grape juice and bread" every week, oh really, yet you have money for coffee and donuts! Take the tithe money and allocate it first and foremost to The Communion! That it can be done each week! But I know the real reason they will not, because of the ego of the Pastors, those seeking to become the next Stephen Furtick, Joyce Meyer, and Joel Olsteen, to make a name for themselves and make lots of money. They want their sermon, not the Son of God to be central to the service, and for that I say for shame! Woe unto you! We gather for Christ, not for your ego Christian brother or sister! I mean what a novel idea to make Christ the focus of Church, to make the purpose of coming to the service The Savior and Lord! 

Another reason I believe Communion is shirked is because it requires you to do some self inventory, introspection, and repentance, "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world." (2 Corinthians 11:27-30). Now before anyone twists this out of context, the getting ill and dying is that people who wanted free food, to simply gorge themselves in gluttony were going to the Communion to eat bread and drink wine, even getting drunk, which is the verse that follows, "then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If anyone is hungry, have him eat at home, so that you do not come together for judgment. As to the remaining matters, I will give instructions when I come," (2 Corinthians 11:27-34) and earlier in the same chapter ,"Therefore when you come together it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper,  for when you eat, each one takes his own supper first; and one goes hungry while another gets drunk. What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What am I to say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I do not praise you." (2 Corinthians 11:20-22). The Issue Paul was addressing is people getting drunk and gorging on the bread, and not letting people participate in this sacred remembrance of Jesus' Death by partaking of the wine and bread. That was the correction The Apostle was making, but I do believe that the aspect of examining oneself is key before participating, "Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup." (2 Corinthians 11:28). Most churches have a moment to reflect, repent, and search yourself  in The Lord before partaking, but this should not become a reason to shirk doing Communion, that "it will take extra time," well then drop a Worship Song! This is more important, that we remember what Christ has done than the Worship Leader get to rock out and feel like a leader singer of a famous band!

I know that I have broached this subject before, and it can seem I am clanging cymbal sometimes for Communion, but I cannot be silent on the importance of this practice in the Church. For thousands of years, for the majority of Church History, The Communion was the centerpiece of Christian practice in Church gatherings and services. It only got caste off by the Seeker Friendly Movement and Mega Church model in Evangelical and Non-Denom circles. Because the truth is that the gospel is only being preached one side, "happy days," "abundant life," and "you are saved!" The aspects of "persecution will come," "abundant life does not mean financial prosperity or health," and "you must repent," are sidelined because they don't make people feel comfortable; and you want people comfortable to have big churches, to stoke a big ego and make big money! 

I mean we claim to be Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) as our authority as Christians, but pick and choose which Scriptures are relevant according to taste, not according to The Holy Spirit's emphasis. We have allowed a madness to come over our churches, in which we have forgotten that The Church in the New Testament did follow authority, the apostle's teaching, "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer." (Acts 2:42). The apostles taught we are suppose to do The Communion! The apostle Paul is emphatic about it in 2 Corinthians, Chapter Eleven! And yet we Mutantar, mutate away from the Scriptures for comfort, and commerce, forgetting that Satan invented commerce, "Your rich commerce led you to violence, and you sinned. So I banished you in disgrace from the mountain of God. I expelled you, O mighty guardian Cherubim Angel (Cherub it says, was singular for Four Winged, Four Headed Angels that guard God's Chariot and Throne, not little baby angels), from your place among the stones of fire. Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty." (Ezekiel 28:16-19). 

We Protestants hold to the authority of the Christ and his Apostles, which are contained in Twenty-Seven Books of the New Testament. You have to have an authority, or we can become cults with all manner of wild & wrongful doctrines and beliefs like the Gnostics, Arians, and Nestorians did. You cannot just highlight what you want to keep and toss out what yo do not like in Scripture! The Communion is greatly important, Jesus said himself to do it, "Do this in Remembrance of Me," (Luke 22:19) and the Apostle Paul affirms this, "when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." (2 Corinthians 11:24). The Baptist denominations hold to that there must be two Scriptures to confirm a doctrine, and well there is! The gospel of Luke and the epistle of Paul both say that we must "do this in remembrance of Him." Amen.