For most of my life, I viewed worship services as this sequence:
Singing
Preaching
More singing
When it came to things like communion and baptism, those elements were almost incidental—they weren’t particularly regular features of services.
When it comes to baptism, that’s understandable; whether you hold to believer’s or infant baptism, it all depends on the individual receiving the sacrament, and there’s a weak likelihood of a new believer or covenant child ready every time you meet for worship services.
But when it comes to communion, or the eucharist, it’s something different.
The eucharist was a central part of church worship for centuries, but in the latter days of the present church age, it seems as though many church gatherings opt to keep it occasional rather than regular.
Now for most of you reading this, you’re likely coming from a Protestant background, with a focus on modern evangelical practice. Let’s get into how the church has celebrated the Lord’s supper and some thoughts for the future regarding how we view a worship service.
The Major Views
Even though the eucharist is just one part of a worship, it’s one of the most dividing issues in Christendom.
We can split the points of view into six categories:
Roman Catholic view: Called transubstantiation, the elements (bread and wine) become the body and blood of Christ in their substance. (You could also use the word essence.) They appear to be normal bread and wine, but mystically, they are changed into a tangible form of Christ that is re-presented as a participation within the once-for-all sacrifice made on Calvary.
Orthodox view: Christ’s presence within the elements is real, but the particulars are not fleshed out. Instead, Orthodox Christians call it a “Holy Mystery,” but they largely accept generalized terms like transubstantiation (but without the extensive reasoning applied by the Roman church.)
Lutheran view: The reformer Martin Luther rejected the idea of transubstantiation, but he also didn’t accept the memorial view put forward by contemporaries like Zwingli (more on this in a following point). Instead of the elements becoming the body and blood of Christ, His presence is tangible through the idea of “sacramental union”: being “with, in, and under” the elements. Another term that is used for this is consubstantiation, but many Lutherans avoid the term.
Reformed/Presbyterian view: This is where Christ’s body and blood are represented by the elements, but they are not transformed, mystically speaking. However, in the administration of the sacrament, the Holy Spirit is actively “nurturing” believers who partake, thus making Christ “present.” In this case, this is viewed as a genuine “means of grace,” or a way that God communicates His grace to His people.
Memorialism #1: This is the first of memorialism, first popularized by reformer Huldrych Zwingli and carried through to many Baptist groups, along with Pentecostalism and modern evangelicalism/non-denominational churches. This type of remembrance is exactly that—Christ’s presence is not conferred more intensely than what is normal in the everyday life of the believer. It’s a time of personal reflection and a common confession, rather than receiving a means of grace.
Memorialism #2: This is an offshoot from the first wave of memorialism, developed through groups of Anabaptists and others. In the Anabaptist tradition (which includes, Amish, Mennonite, Hutterite, and various Brethren groups), the administration of the sacrament is a remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice, as well as a covenant renewal promoting church unity and accountability.
The Common Thread
Now for Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and most Lutherans, celebrating the eucharist is central to every Mass or service, due to the stronger conveyance of grace to each person taking the elements—the presence of Christ is either real in substance (RC/Orthodox) or with the elements (Lutheran), with believers participating in the sacrifice (RC/Orthodox) or objectively receiving forgiveness and union with Christ (Lutheran).
Following closely behind are the Reformed/Presbyterians, who recognize a communicated means of grace in the taking of the sacrament (but emphasizing that saving grace is received through the gift of faith, not the physical taking of the elements). Christ’s sacrifice is an event in which believers receive through the blessing of the Holy Spirit, where He spiritually nurtures them. The practice of this is mostly held weekly, but some congregations hold communion services monthly or quarterly.
In the broader case of memorialism, the practice of communion is not as central to the worship experience (although many congregation do, in fact, celebrate communion weekly). As I’ve experienced services within this vein, the rationale of scheduling communion services comes down to:
Practicality (Do we have enough resources for a regular communion?)
Sincerity (Does a weekly communion lessen the fervor/passion stirred for the believer than if it was reserved for monthly/quarterly administration?)
Taking a high-level view, I see a common thread through the celebration of the Lord’s Supper: Christ’s death, atonement for sin, resurrection, and the promise of new life to come. In other words: the central tenets of the Gospel are explicitly, undeniably laid before the people gathered. For the believer, this is good, nurturing news. For the unbeliever, it’s another means of calling them unto repentance.
So it seems that if we want the gospel message proclaimed in our services, why would we not celebrate the Lord’s supper every week as we gather? To answer the objections of practicality and sincerity:
All budgets reflect priority. Prudence doesn’t require omission of a direct command from God the Son in what gathered believers are to observe. Reasoning from a technicality (there’s no “weekly” mandate at the Last Supper) to me, is weak at best. On the contrary, the “do this” is unqualified in its frequency, so a stronger case of regularity is implied.
If you find yourself becoming desensitized to the beauty and holiness of communion, then ponder this: “Would a divinely instituted practice necessarily and inevitably numb believers to its importance and effect?” Or, in other words, “Why would we expect faithful repetition of God's appointed means to produce spiritual numbness rather than spiritual formation?” The logic doesn’t stand; in fact, why not extend that to prayer, the singing of psalm, hymns, and spiritual songs, and preaching? If efficacy is determined by frequency and is undermined by indifference/familiarity, then we should limit those practices/ordinances, too, right? WRONG! At the end of the day, insincerity is a HUMAN problem—not God’s.
As someone who holds to the Reformed perspective, I freely admit my biases toward receiving a means of grace as it’s understood within that tradition. But my admonishment is really borne from a desire to hear the gospel clearly shown to every person in the gathering, especially if preaching and singing barely scratches the surface of the gospel message during a service.
Still—grace and patience must be given if this weekly regularity is not a reality. As I remind myself, any time the gospel is proclaimed is another guaranteed drawing of Christ’s people unto Himself, and for that, I’m thankful.
Be blessed 👊✌️
Derek is the founder and director of Worship Strategies and is also Creative Ministries Director Faith Family Church in Fayette, MO. Outside of ministry, he is active as a musician and entrepreneur. He is married to his wife Kaitlynn, and they have two beautiful daughters.
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