Orthodox Christians have Communion regularly and often make
it a central part of their worship services. Although some Orthodox believers
have Communion two or three times a year, the Church encourages them to have it
more frequently, weekly, if possible.
Catholics encourage regular participation in Communion, but
only need to partake of it once a year to be considered a “good Catholic”
according to the precepts (see Chapter 10).
Protestants vary in frequency; most observe the Lord’s
Supper on a monthly or quarterly basis, although some churches do it more
often.
The great Protestant preacher John Wesley, for example, took
Communion every four to five days and urged people to do it as often as they
could. Wesley believed that the Lord’s Supper was an important part of a Christian’s
spiritual nourishment. He didn’t mean that God doesn’t empower through means
other than the Lord’s Supper, but he believed that Christ’s presence through
the sacrament strengthens Christians.
Being earnest regarding the Eucharist
Paul strongly commands Christians to approach the Lord’s
Supper seriously and never to take it lightly. Taking it lightly is as much as
a slap in the face to Jesus after the work that he did on the cross. Paul writes
in 1 Corinthians 11:27-34:
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup
in a manner unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of
the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and
drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and
drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body. For this
cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep. For if we
discerned ourselves, we wouldn’t be judged.
Paul indicates that some people in the Corinthian church
feel sick and some even died as a result of their disrespect for the Eucharist.
Therefore, one must take the Lord’s Supper in a repentant, earnest, and focused
manner.
Maintaining a Christlike Balance
Most Christians believe that ordinances should be a focus in
a believer’s spiritual life. But after you begin to get more specific on their
roles or meanings, you soon discover what the expression “all over the map”
means. The differences in belief that exist across the Body of Christ are very
real, have been around for centuries, and can’t be simply swept under the rug. At
the same time, no matter which perspective a Christian holds on the sacraments,
it’s essential that Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians seek a
Christlike balance in their views.
When you look at the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, you
see that he valued rites and ceremonies (see the “Jesus had the rite stuff”
sidebar). Not only did he revere and practice the Hebrew observances of his
day, but he also authorized baptism and the Lord’s Supper for his followers. What’s
more, Jesus didn’t downplay these rites to be side activities but considered
them acts that go to the very heart of one’s faith.
But Jesus wasn’t a man preoccupied with rituals, either. Within
a religious culture that was used to observing countless rites, Jesus trimmed
the numbers and gave his followers just a couple to observe. Also, Jesus spoke
often of the dangers and pitfalls of rituals because they can so easily tempt
people to become focused on outer acts and appearances rather than on the
heart. Further, when Jesus had a face-to-face encounter with a person – whether
a prostitute, a Pharisee, a Roman soldier, or a leper – he was invariably
preoccupied with the person’s inner spiritual condition, not his or her ritual
participation.
This pattern of balance is consistent with the teaching of
the apostles in the New Testament. Ceremonies – baptism and the Lord’s Supper –
are firmly embedded in the life and teaching of the first-century Church. However,
the apostles talk much about how grace justifies through faith.
Frankly, I suggest that both Protestants and Catholics have
something to learn from Jesus and the apostles. Protestants would do well to
remember that when you downplay the ordinances to be purely symbolic acts, you
run the risk of treating them casually, dumbing them down, and filtering out
any mystery that God may use within them. On the other hand, Catholics would do
well to ensure that sacraments don’t become more important than a person’s
faith. For if my eternity is dependent on something I do rather than on my
faith, I begin to stray from the most basic teaching of Christianity, found in
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (italics mine).
Jesus had the rite stuff
Rites played an ever-present role in the life of Jesus,
including the following examples:
His baptism by John the Baptist launched Jesus’ ministry.
At the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus commanded his
disciples to “Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
He observed the traditional Hebrew rites and ceremonies of
his day, including baptismal purifications, Passover, and the other Jewish holy
days.
He instituted the Last Supper and charged his
disciples to partake of it until he returns again.
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