I’ve been reading a book by Robert Webber called Ancient-Future Worship. It’s not light reading, but it’s worth it. In it he argues that the modern evangelical church has lost something in its current expression of worship. (I know, I know. Quick! Get the worms back in the can). Among other things, he claims that many Christians have lost the connection of communion to what he calls the “whole story” of God (i.e. creation, incarnation, re-creation).
He tells a story of giving a lecture on the significance of communion and its practice throughout Church history. A pastor later approached and said:
“I love what you had to say. We do communion on New Year’s Eve, but I don’t think my people would tolerate it more often than that. Could you suggest an alternative that would have the same effect?” This response is tantamount to saying, “I preach from the Bible once a year, but I don’t think my people would tolerate it more often. Can you suggest an alternative?” Jesus said there is a way to remember me — it is bread and wine. Why don’t we follow the clear teaching of Jesus? |
Question: What do you think? Are Webber’s comments too strong? Have we lost the importance of communion? How often do you practice it at your church? How do you incorporate it with the rest of your service?
View a listing of songs appropriate for communion at LifeWayWorship.com
I have introduced communion every week to the small Baptist church that I pastor on a bi-vocational basis.
I think there was resistance (or at least apathy) at first, but after 3 years, on the Sunday’s that we don’t celebrate the Eucharist, they are realizing that there is something missing.
Although I can’t use this example with everyone, when someone tells me that “if we have communion too often it’s no longer special”, my reply is: “you know, my wife and I feel the same way about sex…it’s so special to us that we only want to engage in it once or twice a year”. That usually gets the wheels of the listener turning in the direction of how ridiculous their argument is.
Wow. Good comments, Doug. And thanks for spicing up our blog!
I’m a big fan of the late Robert Webber’s books. We just read that book for a graduate class on Christian Ministry. It’s absolutely great stuff.
It really was reading about Communion in his book Worship is a Verb that got me wondering if we’d been missing something. These days I attend a church that does weekly Communion. Whenever I can’t attend on a given Sunday, I really miss celebrating the Table with God’s people.
FWIW, I think the Worship Hymnal is a wonderful step toward the kind of “blended” worship Webber advocates in other books 🙂
Thanks for your comment, Isaac. Maybe I should check out Worship is a Verb.
As the co-pastor of a Disciples of Christ congregation the most important and awe inspiring part of each service is standing at the Table with our Elders and serving communion.
The centrality of the Table to our worship means that each week we design our worship so that it leads to the serving of Communion. I think the word serving is critical because we serve each other the elements with the verbal reminder that we are remembering Christ’s sacrifice on behalf. It then serves as a reminder as we go out of the church doors into the community that we are called to be the face of Christ to those we come in contact with during the week.
Jonathan- I think you may have tapped into one of the rich veins of the “mother load”. A survey of other traditions outside the Baptist fold can be very helpful on a theme like communion. Thanks for letting us know a little of your own samplings.
I posted some gems I’ve found in some of the other traditions last year.
http://e4unity.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/a-night-to-remember/#comments
Thanks, John Paul.
We celebrate communion each week. It is a special part of our worship. We usually sing a insightful song to prepare our hearts and minds and one of the gentlemen gives a meditation. Then we go to the table as we feel lead and partake of the bread and the juice. It can be very powerful. I think Mister Webber is right in his comments. I think whenever Christians get together they should take communion as a reminder that Jesus is always present when two or more of His people gather.
One of the biggest arguments for not taking communion every week has been the tendency toward over-ritualization. Maybe it won’t be “special” if we do it every week. I’m not sure that I buy it. But I do think if you do it exactly the same way every week it might lose some of that “otherness” that we experience when it only happens 3 or 4 times per year. IF you’re going to take communion every week, i think you need to work extra hard to make it fresh. Yes, we sing praise every week, but we don’t sing the same songs. We read scripture every week, but we don’t read the same scripture every week. I like Webber, and I think he makes some great points.
Thanks for your comments Shannon and Pamela.
I love your website. :-* Did you create these layouts? Anyway, my concern is customizing the “post a comment” box. 🙂 Emery Wilbers
I am a Southern Baptist pastor’s daughter, but I found my spiritual home in the Episcopal Church where communion is celebrated every Sunday, and at our church, on Wednesday evenings as well. It is something we share together. After all communion and community are related words. As we are in communion with our Lord we are also in communion with each other, and our community is stronger for it. As for the over-ritualization, some people find the familiarity comforting. I certainly have. It seems so much less chaotic and random. Even when I am too hurting and broken to choose words for myself, I can join in with my brothers and sisters.