August 3, 2003
Table Matters
Linda A. Knieriemen
“Linda, can I ask you something?” You corner me after worship and say sheepishly, “This is probably a silly question, but …” And what follows is inevitably a very good query about a church matter. If one person has a question, more than one person has the same question, so this morning I want to respond in this corporate setting to some of those questions, specifically about Communion, not the “why” questions about doctrine, but the nuts-and-bolts questions about what we eat, how we eat, where we eat, and when we come to this Table. It’s my hope that in these few minutes you will not only hear responses to your asked and unasked questions, but that you will also be encouraged to ask more. In general, the answers to those what, how, where, and when questions are found in scripture, in church history, (particularly the changes which happened during the Reformation), in Reformed theology, and the Presbyterian Book of Order, but also in what’s practical, and yes, because we’ve always done it that way! The tried-and-true isn’t necessarily bad! So let’s get started.
Here’s a question I hear often: Why grape juice? Jesus drank wine didn’t he? Yes, of course. Wine was as common as having a cup of coffee, or a cola, or a glass of milk is for us. The change came in the late 19th Century when a Methodist dentist named Thomas Bramwell Welch, an early member of the temperance movement, heard about Louis Pasteur’s process of pasteurization of milk. Mr. Welch was successful in applying that process to grape juice, thus providing an alternative means to preserve the fruit of the vine, and began using it in his church where he was a communion steward. His son, Dr. Charles Welch, found a market for the alcohol-free wine and eventually produced commercially what we know as Welch’s grape juice.
It is the Session of a Presbyterian Church which decides what will be served for communion. The Book of Order, our church government, permits wine or grape juice and yes, some Presbyterian congregations do use wine, but where it is used grape juice must also be offered and be clearly differentiated from the fermented juice. As a practical matter, wine is more expensive. As a pastoral matter, it seems gracious to avoid in worship something which could be a source of anxiety or temptation for a person who is alcoholic. Recalling Jesus words, we should avoid behaviors which might cause a brother or sister to stumble.
Another common question, especially among new members is: What’s intinction? Why do we dip in the juice sometimes (intinction) and sip the juice out of those little glasses at other times? At Westminster, mornings, we serve the juice in one of two ways: by intinction at the early service and in the individual glasses at the later service. You have a choice.
In the early church and into modern times, every denomination used the common cup. When scientists discovered the germ theory, the idea of multiple people drinking from one glass became a concern and it remains one today. Recently, studies have actually been conducted on the spread of germs using various methods of receiving the Lord’s Supper! Individual communion cups were invented by a preacher by the name of J.G. Thomas and were first used in about 1894. As long as the cups are properly cleaned (and I know Mark Hendricks will attest to that) there is no cleaner way. Intinction seems to be a “middle way”. A piece of communion etiquette: when you receive by intinction, be sure to take a large enough piece of bread that you can dip easily without getting your fingers wet. We won’t think you greedy and there is plenty to go around.
What about the bread? Some ask if we shouldn’t use unleavened bread, or a middle-eastern bread like Pita. In fact, the more ordinary the bread is to the community, the richer the meaning. Jesus used the simple, ordinary food of the day. For most of us, that’s plain white, or maybe whole grain bread. For centuries, monasteries made communion wafers, sometimes stamped with the figure of a saint, and supplied all of Christendom. We often associate this with Roman Catholic or Episcopalian churches. Like the form of the fruit of the vine, it’s not the shape or the type which matters. Some churches insist on a common loaf because of the symbolism of being “one”, but our unity in Christ comes in the shared prayers and the reality of the shared meal regardless of the shape or number of cubes or loaves.
It’s come to the attention of the worship committee that several of our members have gluten intolerance, that is, that bread causes a severe allergic reaction. We do have gluten-free bread available if you require it…please contact us so we can serve you appropriately.
Michael Lindvall in his novel, Leaving North Haven, spins a tale about a pastor’s experience with communion on his last stressful day before leaving to serve a new congregation. He writes, “I reached for a cube, pinching it daintily between my index finger and thumb. But as I lifted it off the plate, ten more little cubes followed. This one slice of Wonder Bread had not been cut quite clean through.” Yes, it was a fictional moment, but one with a purpose, for Lindvall comments, “The joyful feast of the people of God. You reach for one little piece of grace and find that you have more on your hands than you deserve or even imagined you needed.” Your one cube of bread this morning is part of a much larger loaf, larger than you could imagine.
So far we’ve looked at the question of what we eat and how we eat, but what about where we eat. Why do we serve communion in the pews? You might guess that feeling ran high about this matter. If we look back through the pages of church history, we find that the earliest Dutch Reform churches served communion standing at the front of the church, much as they had in Roman churches. John Knox in Scotland had people come forward in groups (like we do on Maundy Thursday) and then sit down at the communion table. This was the posture, he reasoned, at the Last Supper. That was also the practice of the Puritans who imported it with them to the United States. Documents from the time report that there was often a jostling for places with the intention of sitting either next to or opposite the minister so that they could receive bread and wine directly from him which was considered an honor. During the Reformation the practice of remaining in the pews came into vogue because it promoted stillness and attentiveness to allow concentration on scripture being read. Staying seated was a sign of rest and peace with God and intentionally avoided the distraction of movement. Eventually, concern about the Supper being split up into a number of more-or-less “tables” may have been incentive to have the congregation remain in pews.
There are solidly sound Presbyterian reasons for communing in the pews, or for processing forward. Remaining in the pews emphasizes one’s individual relationship with Jesus. It tends to be passive and private -- not an accurate representation of “communion” which is decidedly corporate. But in passing the bread and juice TO one another, we demonstrate our bond in Christ. We highlight that if we speak to one another and so we encourage you to say to your neighbor as you pass the trays of bread or juice “the body of Christ” or “the Cup of Salvation” and your neighbor in return may say, “Amen”.
We have a practice of holding the bread and cup and waiting for all to be served before we eat. Some find this to be a matter of simple manners, like not eating until the hostess picks up her fork. For others it carries a magical connotation, as if eating at the same time is what makes the meal a symbol of unity. For some younger worshippers or others with arthritis, or a tremor, holding that little cup can be precarious. If that’s true for you, please go ahead and communion, we will not think you rude or impatient. Our unity comes because we are all eating the same food and sharing in the same remembrance of Jesus not because of the timing of our swallow!
Those who prefer coming forward to receive will say that moving their body helps them feel more like an active participant in the sacrament. It also acknowledges the reality that we respond to an invitation to “come to the table” and when we return to our seats we are dismissed for service in the world. In addition, to stand (or to kneel as is the practice for some) is a sign of respect, an act of worship.
Today we are using a beautiful silver communion service. Sometimes we use simple pottery. For a time we used a wood set. It’s not just about what looks nice. Again it reflects the history of the Reformation. In their desire to reduce what they saw as ceremonial excesses of the Roman Catholic church, Calvin, Zwingli, Luther, and others sought to simplified the sacraments, in fact it seems they tried to outdo one another. A pastor named Hubmaier dramatized the need for simplicity by baptizing out of a milk pail, to which Zwingli responded by celebrating the Lord’s Supper using the common rough-hewn wooden platters and cups used by ordinary working class peasants. Today when we use pottery we may think of Jesus as a peasant, familiar and comfortable with the earth. When we use silver and linen, we have set a table fit for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
What about frequency of communion. Why do we at Westminster have communion but once a month? Throughout history, frequency has ebbed-and-flowed. In the early church, we are told that Christians ate the Lord’s Supper every time they came together. During the middle ages, the pope only mandated yearly communion. John Calvin called this “a veritable invention of the devil” and proposed the sacrament be offered weekly because it was not a sacrifice to occur rarely, but a remembrance, suitable for every Lord’s Day. To Calvin’s consternation, the secular magistrates in Geneva disagreed. But Lutheran churches in Leipzig and Dresden did serve communion each Sunday. In other newly protestant cities such as Zurich, the practice was four times a year -- Easter, Pentecost, Christmas, and once in the Autumn. Some Presbyterian Churches have returned to earlier roots and now offer weekly communion, often at an evening or early morning service. Our Book of Order mandates at least quarterly, and our session wisely chooses monthly plus Maundy Thursday, Christmas Eve, and Thanksgiving.
We’ve talked about bread and juice, about methods of receiving, about frequency of communion, what about the question of who gets to serve communion? Why can’t I serve, you may have wondered. A few months ago, our session embraced the recommendation of the Book of Order which says, “the elements may be served by ordained officers of the church (that is elders, deacons, or clergy) or by other church members on invitation of the session.” That’s a change life-long Presbyterians may not be aware of but it reflects reformed theology. Who serves is not a matter of privilege, but rather a matter of orderly procedure. Communion is holy because we celebrate Christ who is holy, not because those who serve are holier or better Christians. Only Christ is worthy to be the host at the Table. So don’t look upon those who serve you communion today as high and mighty, but rather as your humble, fellow sinners, or as one writer put it, ”kitchen help”.
Finally, a question I wondered about for a long time: What am I supposed to be thinking about during all that silence?
There is no “supposed to be” but if you usually think about what’s for lunch or about an appointment next Thursday at 3:00 a little focus might enrich your experience. You might find it helpful to read from the pew Bible, or the hymnal. Or focus on one of the stained glass windows.
Or you might try this exercise: Let your mind rest on Jesus, first, on Jesus in the past…marvel at what he taught, be alarmed that he was betrayed, be sad that he suffered, and rejoice that he rose, giving his life for the world. Say, “Thank you for redeeming me, saving me, giving me eternal life.”
Then let your mind rest on Jesus, not of the past, but today…consider that Christ is with us here and now, that Jesus loves you today, and that you are part of his body on earth. Look around at the others who are also part of that body. Remember that together we are Christ’s hands and feet and heart for the world. Say, “thank you for accepting me, and bringing me into this family”. And ask, how can I be your disciple in my life this week?
And then let your mind rest on the Christ of the future….Christ will be in all our tomorrows, and beyond our death. There will be a day when we are reunited with family and friends, when divisions end, when there is no more sorrow or death or mourning, and God will reign in peace. Say, thank you for being the hope of the world. Pray, Come Lord Jesus.
Remembering Jesus, giving thanks for Jesus, celebrating our unity in Him, that is what we do when we come to the Lord’s Table, however, wherever, whenever we place bread in our mouths and touch a juice to our lips.
AMEN.