Leading a Communion Service in a Local Church Context
Leading a Communion Service: A Contested yet Unifying Practice
The practice of leading a Communion service is a significant aspect of Christian worship, yet it is approached differently across various Christian traditions. The disagreement centers on the understanding of the Lord's Supper, its significance, and the manner in which it should be observed.
The Lord's Supper is rooted in the Last Supper Jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion, as recorded in the Gospels and 1 Corinthians. The early Christian church continued this practice, with the apostle Paul instructing the Corinthian church on its proper observance [1, 2].
Understanding the Lord's Supper
One of the primary points of contention is the nature of Christ's presence in the Lord's Supper. The Lutheran tradition, as expressed in the Augsburg Confession, affirms the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, stating that "the body and blood of Christ are truly present and are distributed to those who eat in the Lord's Supper" [8]. In contrast, the Reformed tradition, represented by John Calvin, understands the Lord's Supper as a symbolic remembrance of Christ's sacrifice, where believers spiritually feed on Christ [6].
The Catholic Church, through the teachings of Thomas Aquinas, holds that the bread and wine used in the Eucharist are transformed into the literal body and blood of Christ, a doctrine known as transubstantiation [9]. The Eastern Orthodox Church also affirms the real presence of Christ, though it does not define the mechanism of this presence as precisely as the Catholic Church does [7].
Leadership and Participation
Another area of disagreement is who is authorized to lead a Communion service. The Catholic and Orthodox traditions reserve this role to ordained clergy, emphasizing the sacramental nature of the priesthood. In contrast, many Protestant denominations, such as the Baptist and Presbyterian churches, allow authorized ministers or elders to lead the Lord's Supper, with varying requirements for who can participate in or preside over the service [3, 4].
The Anglican tradition, as outlined in the Thirty-Nine Articles, takes a nuanced view, affirming the real presence while also emphasizing the importance of worthy reception and the role of faith in the communicant [5].
Shared Ground
Despite these differences, all Christian traditions agree on the significance of the Lord's Supper as a means of communing with Christ and with one another. The practice is grounded in biblical accounts of Jesus' institution of the Supper and the early Christian practice of gathering to "break bread" [1, 2]. The act of Communion is seen as a proclamation of Christ's death until he comes again, a symbol of unity among believers, and a means of spiritual nourishment [2].
Divergence in Interpretation
The divergence in understanding and practicing the Lord's Supper stems from different hermeneutical approaches to Scripture, varying theological emphases, and historical developments within Christian traditions. The way a Communion service is led reflects these underlying theological commitments and ecclesiastical structures.
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Communion — Fellowship with God (Gen. 18:17-33; Ex. 33:9-11; Num. 12:7, 8), between Christ and his people (John 14:23), by the Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1), of believers with one another (Eph. 4:1-6). The Lord's Supper is so called (1 Cor. 10:16, 17), because in it there is fellowship between Christ and his disciples, and of the disciples with one another.”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 11:26: 11:26 In taking the Lord’s Supper, Christians proclaim the saving significance of the Lord’s death to those around them until he comes again (see 1:7-8; cp. 1 Thes 1:9-10; 3:12; 4:13-18; 5:23).”
- 1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 11:20: When . . . therefore--Resuming the thread of discourse from Co1 11:18. this is not to--rather, "there is no such thing as eating the LORD'S Supper"; it is not possible where each is greedily intent only on devouring "HIS OWN supper," and some are excluded altogether, not having been waited for (Co1 11:33), where some are "drunken," while others are "hungry" (Co1 11:21). The love-feast usually preceded the Lord's Supper (as eating the Passover came before the Lord's Supper at the first institution of the latter). It was a club-feast, where eac”
- Luke (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Luke 22:29: That ye may eat, and drink, at my table, in my kingdom,.... In the Gospel dispensation, or Gospel church state, in which Christ has a table, called the table of the Lord, Co1 10:21 which is the Lord's supper, and is a table well furnished with the best of provisions, his flesh and blood, of which believers may eat and drink with a hearty welcome; Christ himself being present to sup with them: and in his personal reign on earth, where will be the marriage supper of the Lamb, to which all the saints will be called; and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and be”
- Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican) “Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican, 1571), 28.Of the Lord's Supper.: 28.Of the Lord's Supper.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 109: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1:2 1:26 1:27 1:31 2:7 2:7 2:17 2:18 2:23 2:23 3:7 3:9 3:12 3:15 3:15 3:15 3:22 4:4 4:7 4:10 4:13 6:3 6:5 6:6 6:18 7:21 8:21 9:6 12:12 12:17 14:18 14:18 15:1 15:1 15:5 15:17 16:9 17:7 17:7 17:10 17:10 17:13 17:15 17:27 18:2 18:23 20:3 20:7 21:1 21:12 21:24 22:1 22:8 22:16-18 23:4 23:19 24:7 24:10 26:27 27:28 27:38-39 28:12 28:20 29 30:2 31:19 31:20 31:40-41 32 32:10 32:13 32:29-30 33 34 36:22 37:18 37:28 37:33 38:18 42 43 43:14 45:5 47:9 47:9 47:29-30 48:14 48:16 49:5-6 49:18 Exodus 2:12 3:2 3”
- CCEL (Eastern Orthodox) “John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, section 105: 45:12 45:14 48:12 53:4-5 53:8 53:8 53:8 53:9 61:1 61:1 64:4 65:1-2 65:2 65:13-16 65:16 65:16 66:1 66:1-2 66:1-2 66:7 Jeremiah 1:6 17:9 23:22 23:24 Ezekiel 27:23 37:7 44:2 Daniel 1:8-16 2:15 2:22 3:20 3:23 6:16 10:2 11:37 12:1-3 Hosea 1:6-7 13:4 13:4 Amos 3:6 Micah 1:3 Zechariah 9:9 Malachi 1:11 3:6 3:6 3:6 3:6 4:2 4:2 4:6 Matthew 1:21 1:21 1:23 1:23 1:25 2:20 3:11 3:15 3:17 3:17 3:17 3:17 3:17 3:17 3:17 3:17 4:2 4:4 5:3 5:5 5:8 5:17 5:17 5:17 6:25 6:26 6:33 7:6 7:18 7:23 8:3 8:3 8:30 9:2 9:4 10:6 10:15 10:16 10:22 10:28 ”
- Augsburg Confession (Lutheran) “Augsburg Confession (Lutheran, 1530), Article X. Of the Lord's Supper.: Article X. Of the Lord's Supper.”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Use or Receiving of This Sacrament in General, Art. 11: Article: Whether it is lawful to abstain altogether from communion? I answer that, As stated above (Article [1]), there are two ways of receiving this sacrament namely, spiritually and sacramentally. Now it is clear that all are bound to eat it at least spiritually, because this is to be incorporated in Christ, as was said above (Question [73], Article [3], ad 1). Now spiritual eating comprises the desire or yearning for receiving this sacrament, as was said above (Article [1], ”