Partaking of the Lord's Supper, or communion, is a significant way we are called to remember Christ and His gospel work. It is obvious that Jesus commanded the disciples to regularly take communion or the Lords Supper. If you havent accepted Christ as your Savior and would like to do so, please watch this video. Thank the Father for saving believers and that one day you and any believers with you will see Him face-to-face. You can keep these at your house so whenever you need it you are prepared. You died for me! I am going to do it myself, in person. All Communion pieces have been constructed with the following goals in mind. It is a holy moment. What! The pastor who attempts to add the Sacrament to a regular Sunday schedule will find that, but for exceptional occasions, people come to the communion table distracted with thoughts about Michael and for the last four years MOP have been of great encouragement to me. ' Then pray over the drink. The cup symbolizes His blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Hi Pastor Michael, we actually just started an online Christian discipleship school. Sharing in the death and burial of the Son of God is a foundational part of salvation ( Romans 6:3-5 ), and that death is symbolized in the ordinance of communion. We know that this transition will take a few weeks to settle in and we thank you for your patience as we adjust to the new process. So picture it like this, they came together to commune with other believers and take communion. Your left hand should be over the right when you choose to receive it in your hands. I also became aware that the admonishment of Paul to the Corinthians was to those who were believers in Christ regular lay person, like you and me. Because of the focus being used to properly administer the communion you wont be able to think about anything else. No body is stopping to pray and reflect as they walk out the door. Well, in this moment, when done correctly, you clear the slate with God and your sins. It's true; you don't. You can take the Lord's Supper either way-at home with the Lord, or at your church. And as we partake of these hallowed symbols at this holy communion table, we humbly take this bread and bless it and break it, and eat it in remembrance of you, for Your own dear body was broken for us. Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? I embrace You as if You were already there Thank God for confirmation . ", on a regular basis. ), simply direct the person to speak with the priest after Mass. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.. It is important to realize that Scripture does not condemn believers for staying home from church for serious or legitimate reasons. I pray that I become a better person and be kinder to my neighbours. Either leavened (in witness to the resurrection) or unleavened (in witness to the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit) may be used. But sin hurts both my heart and Yours. Lord, we partake of this bread and drink this cup in remembrance of what You did on our behalf, on Calvary's cross, and praise and glorify Your holy name. If you dont have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you should not be taking communion and can learn more about receiving Christ as your Savior here. They designate acts of fellowship observed among the early Christians or express the unique sense of unity and fellowship of which these acts were the outward expression. Reveal any secret pride, any unconfessed sin, any rebellion or unforgiveness that may be hindering my relationship with You. You can either place the elements on a table and people can get them there, or you can pass them out. The most famous story of communion in the Bible is the story of The Last Supper. Take this and divide it among yourselves; I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.. We take communion because He said we should do this in remembrance of Him. Thank You, Father, for the gift of Your Son. Prayer to Receive the Lord. a) After you have your communion elements Focus on Jesus. I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lords death till He comes. Thank You for Your victory over death. Blessings . The purpose of this question is to understand if the Bible allows us to have communion at home and, if we can, how to take communion at home or away from the church. To partake, hold the bread in your hand and say: Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You, and remember all that You have done for me on the cross. That wasn't holy communion the 5000 received, it was a "meal" to sustain their body, communion is for sustaining one's soul. The pastor ends his sermon, and quickly ushers the people out so they can prepare for the next service. With what is happening in our world today, I would highly recommend you get the elements because youre probably going to need it. It is not appropriate to reach out with the fingers and take the host from the person distributing. Again, this is about reverence and respect to the Lord. Thank You for allowing Your body to be broken so that mine might be whole. Do this in remembrance of me."[ b] 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the . Thanks for sharing a very elaborate, detailed, and insightful teaching on the Communion or Breaking of Bread.Im a ardent lover of The Communion, because I do minister it my myself whenever Im fasting, or having a particular project Im working on and I need to bring to My mind and consciousness the Victory that Jesus Christ has wrought for me with His perfect finished works on the cross. Bible, communion, communion Bible verse, communion Body of Christ, communion bread and wine, communion meaning, communion prayer, communion Scripture, Lords Supper Prepare the individual cups for the communion service and place them in the tray. 1 Corinthians 11:20 (NASB). But the phrase breaking of bread just refers to having a meal together. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And in doing so, didnt even look out for their brothers and sisters so, some were not able to partake. Whenever you come together to do this in the future, remember Me. It is recommended to have a time of worship, praise and glorifying God. When we partake in Communion, we "proclaim the Lord's death til He comes." The bread is symbolic of His body and Jesus' divine health and life flowing in our mortal bodies. You love me like a perfect parent. What shall I say to you? What seat do I take after taking communion? What Scripture talks about the Lords Supper? 20Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lords Supper. That would include, Focus on Christ and what He did on the cross to save you. Think about what the bread means to you. LEADING COMMUNION The Bible doesn't specify where or how often we should receive communion. All over the world, ministry leaders often preside over the partaking of communion during their gatherings. Thats why unbelievers shouldnt be administered communion because they dont understand what Christ did. Is it a commandment to observe communion? The clear teaching of the New Testament is that believers gathered together for teaching of the Word of God, fellowship, prayer and participating in communion together as a group and not individually. Because you are focusing on Christ everything become clear in a moment. Lord, as You enter my body, please cleanse me from all my sins. I remember being so nervous to walk up and receive it because of how they reverenced and handled the elements. May Your presence in me make me a better person and do whatever is only on Your will. 1 John 4:21 is an indictment to every person claiming to be a Christian who stays at home when they are physically able to attend. Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Thank you for sharing this MOP I took communion last night after a prayer conference call and he spoke to the prophetic about taking communion every time that we are on the call and that we should do it in our home . Earlier in 1 Corinthians, Paul makes two separate statements about communion or the breaking of bread that are important. May we continue to feed on You in our hearts, by faith and with grateful thanks from this day forward, and may we walk worthy of our calling in Christ Jesus and live a life that is honouring to You. What shall I say to you? communion!) 5. Communion is a symbolic act and not an efficacious act. If you are uncomfortable with that, pick it up and give it to the priest or Extraordinary Minister. As I take the bread representing Your life that was broken for me, I remember and celebrate Your faithfulness to me and to all who will receive You. All. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. Thank You Lord Jesus, for loving me. Is it wrong to have no desire to go to church on Sundays? You could make this the centerpiece of your time together or you could partake in it before or after you complete a study and discussion time. If you're a believer, you can take communion at home or just about anywhere. Heavenly Father, I thank You for this special time in my faith, a time when I must come before You and closely examine myself, and in doing so, I am to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For in the holy Eucharist, the Catechism of . I want to direct you to a discipleship site online https://glorytogloryschool.com God bless you. However, they should be the exception to the rule and not the law. If Holy Communion is being served in a Sunday service, it is wise for the order of service to be arranged so the Sacrament is not viewed as an after-thought. Then read Matthew 26:27-29 and say, Jesus said, Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant. 4) Keep to the point (i.e. Lord, as You enter my body, please cleanse me from all my sins. Jesus used wine to symbolize His blood. "This article helped me a lot. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. And today I remember and celebrate the precious gift of life You gave me through the blood that You spilled. If someone does so (such as a non-parishioner, etc. Thank you so much for sharing it. It treats the tithe as holy, and ensures your heart is right before God. Here is the reason why ministers of Communion are instructed to say, "The Body of Christ," and not "This is Jesus," or "Receive the Body of Christ." This brief and humble acclamation invites all the faithful to recognize the Body of Christ in the consecrated bread and in the People of God receiving Communion! Thank you for sharing this beautiful teaching,it clarifies many aspects surrounding holy communion. Dear, MOP. Your heart and your mind should be fully focused on Him in that moment. Other passages that provide additional information are Mark 14:22-26 and Luke 22:19-20. "I want to take communion. You basically put yourself under a curse. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. We believe that Jesus did this just before the third Passover cup. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. When Christians come together to celebrate communion, they are commemorating the Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples before he was crucified. The second step in taking communion at home is to distribute grape juice, wine or just some water, if nothing else is available. In this unique time of worship, believers commemorate the Lords death through prayer and meditation. Never permit me to be separated from You. This was the last supper that Jesus had with His disciples before He was crucified. They are also good if you travel to someones house to minister to them, you have the communion with you. While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My body. Matthew 26:26 (NASB). After that, take a sip of grape juice. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. But we are in a pandemic situation at this time. If you wish to have the host handed to you, hold out your hands, left on top of right. Yes, it is. He said, "Eat. What do you say when taking Communion? Prayer For Taking Communion At Home Lord Jesus, what a privilege to be able to come before Your throne of grace and partake of the precious sacraments of bread and wine, in remembrance of Your atoning sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. What does Jesus mean by This is the blood of my covenant. You could celebrate communion after a meal together as often modeled by the early church (Matthew 26:26-29; Acts 2:42-46; 1 Corinthians 11:20-26). The bible had bread and wine. Certain Catholic parishes have different customs for receiving Eucharist. I think its because most people who were saved never got discipled and are missing core components to live a successful Christian life. 3. Sophia holds a BA in English from Colorado State University. And Your shed blood has removed every sin from my life. Communion celebrates the Gospel: Jesus was broken for us so that we can be fixed by Him. They functioned as a group and not as individuals at home. When Catholics receive Communion, they believe that Christ is actually within them, so they observe certain practices of reverence. Now in my older years, I am making a commitment to return, "I prefer to receive the host on my tongue, but I think that our pastor does not encourage this method. Unfortunately, there is an increasing practice of men and women who claim to be believers to worship at home because they do not want to attend church. The person offering the cup will say the Blood of Christ, and you should respond (as above) with a bow and a proclamation of your faith: Amen. The lip of the chalice is wiped off after each member receives the blood as a way to limit germs, but if you know you are contagious, refrain from receiving from the Cup. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. It is meant to be taken by disciples of Christ. 15 Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of . Thank You, Father, for this precious time of reverent reflection on all that Christ did for us at Calvary. O for a closer walk with You Lord Jesus, so that I may draw ever closer into Your arms of grace day by day. 31For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. Therefore, anyone who is a believer in Christ can administer the communion. The Last Supper. Whatever it is that you are using, it should be something that you have set aside for the purpose of taking communion. Truly God works in mysterious ways. Multiple New Testament principles demonstrate that should only occur when there is no other option such as physical illness, a serious life threatening situation, a national crisis or some other situation that justifies staying home. You know, growing up going to the Catholic Church it seems like the only person holy enough to do it was the priest. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Purification of Sacred Vessels. 17Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. Under these circumstances we show love to others and it is okay to take communion at home. It is commonly believed Acts 2:42, 46-47 teaches the early believers would take communion together at the temple and in their homes. The elements used to represent Christ's body and blood are bread and wine. It instantly shuts down my wandering thoughts and takes me into Gods presence. If you fear fumbling with your hands when receiving Communion, receive on the tongue; overall this is the easier way to receive. Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve. Lord Jesus, I bow before you in humility and ask You to examine my heart today. What do you say when distributing communion? Amen. In how Jesus has it laid out it appears the bread came before the wine. 4. The lip of the chalice is wiped off after each member receives the blood as a way to limit germs, but if you know you are contagious, refrain from receiving from the Cup. come at least spiritually into my heart. Here is a brief prayer from the Offices of Spiritual Communion that expresses your desire to be in communion with God, recalling the reality that Mass is still being said, even though you are unable to attend. How often should you have communion at your church? Presenting the Bread and Wine (grape juice is generally used and very thin communion wafers that dissolve in the mouth can help prevent any choking) General instructions about communion. Jesus used wine to symbolize His blood. This will depend on where and how many people are gathering. Acts 2:42 states that the purpose for the early church gathering together was to listen to the teaching of the apostles, to fellowship together, participate in communion, prayer and worship. The eating of the bread and drinking of the wine that led to what we call communion is still a regular part of celebrating Passover that Jewish people and some Christians celebrate each year. In Corinth this intended act of "communion" with the Lord had . Is there anything else you do in communion that wasnt mentioned in this post? The reason I believe this is because communion is a remembrance of the sacrifice that Jesus did for "all of us.". Thank Him for it. You want to stick as closely as possible to what the bible says. Thank you for giving up your precious life for me, I am very much sorry for all the causes of the suffering you undergone jast to accomplish My redemption. A minister of Holy Communion is simply a baptized Catholic who lawfully takes the Eucharist to other Catholics. (Procedure at the end of this article) Though it is best to participate in the Lord's supper in the body of Christ in a church gathering, it is okay to take it at home. Because of Your blood shed for me, and Your body broken for me, I can be free from the power and penalty of sin. While it is ok to pray about the things that are not in alignment that shouldnt be the majority of your time in communion. Im sure many Christians didnt even know this. Will I drink the blood of Christ for the first time at my Confirmation? And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. It was only through the sacrifice of Jesus death on the cross that we have a connection with God the Father and have access to heaven. Some to-be-weds choose to only have a Rite of Marriage ceremony (which doesn't include a mass). Lord, fill me with Your love so that my love may flow back to You as well as out to others. Thank you MOP for your obedience to the Lord. John 6:51 . Therefore, we conclude that communion can occur at home. Finally, both Matthew and Mark tell us that they sang a song afterwards. Communion is a wonderful time to come to God in true repentance - not just acknowledging the sin but asking for the desire not to do it again. 27Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Here is Lukes account, And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes. And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. Luke 22:1719 (NASB). It is obvious they had to gather to hear the apostles teaching, unless one expected the apostles to visit individual Christians in their homes and repeat their messages. 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