Communion
Our belief about Communion
Communion is a remembrance of the death and resurrection of Jesus in the form of bread - representing His body - and juice - representing His blood.
We read in Luke 22 as Jesus shares a final meal with his disciples, "Jesus broke bread with His disciples and told them to eat, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." He then took a cup of wine and said, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
At Missio Dei Church, we will celebrate Communion weekly. Weekly? Why celebrate weekly? It is impossible to answer this question without understanding why we receive the sacrament in the first place. In the sixth chapter of John, Jesus tells his followers, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35).
This is only one of several places in Scripture where Christ is said to nourish us and we are said to feed on him. At the Last Supper Christ instituted the sacrament as a visible reminder of this nourishment and as a means by which to communicate his grace to us. The Heidelberg Catechism puts it beautifully:
He wants to assure us, by this
visible sign and pledge, that we,
through the Holy Spirit's work,
share in his true body and blood as
surely as our mouths receive these
holy signs in his remembrance (Question and Answer 79).
But won't a weekly celebration of communion cause this sacrament to lose its special character? Won't it become routine and humdrum? This is probably the most frequently voiced objection to weekly communion.
First of all, it should be pointed out that I never have heard anyone objecting to sitting through sermons on a weekly basis (maybe questioning the length of a sermon, but never a sermon). Yet what we receive in the sacrament simply confirms in a vivid, Technicolor and direct way what we have already received in the proclaiming of Scripture in the sermon. Both sermon and sacrament are means of grace that affirm and enrich our faith.
As for the Lord's Supper itself, we should begin to think of it as it was meant to be: a meal. We eat meals three times a day. And the most pleasant and meaningful of these are eaten in the company of family and friends. Fellowship at table does not lose its significance simply because it is repeated two or three times daily. The same, I would argue, is true of frequent reception of communion.
If you have chosen to follow Jesus, we invite you to join with us in taking part in this sacred remembrance. We practice intinction which means participants will come forward along with others to dip the bread in the grape juice.
Special Offering on Communion Sundays
Every Sunday, we also receive two offerings. The first is for the furthering the corporate mission of MDC while the second offering is quite different. It is received during communion for benevolence (helping those who are in need in our community.) As Jesus has graciously given to us, we are compelled to give to those who are in need in our community.
