Sidenote:

This is a little devo on communion I’m working on for Church, was going to do it yesterday, but have to wait until next time we do communion… So now I might tweak it a little, but figured why not post the original draft.

Short Devotional on Communion

Since Christ uttered those words, “Do this in remembrance of me,” Communion has been an integral part of the Church. This can be seen by the very fact that the Synoptic Gospels each relate this event, as well as Paul’s words to the Corinthians. Not to mention its various mentions in Acts. The New Testament quite clearly shows that Christ’s words’ “To do this in remembrance of me” were followed.

There have been those who have abused this command of Christ, have ignored it out rightly, or who have made more of it than they should have. Once again, Paul’s letter to the Corinthians highlights this true, if sad fact. An early mentioned from the Church father Saint Ignatius of Antioch, found himself having to encourage the Ephesians Church to: “Try and gather more frequently.”[1] For as John Wesley once preached “it is the duty of every Christians… because it is a plain command of Christ.”[2]

The Lord’s Suppers was also early on called the Thanksgiving, which is where the word Eucharist comes from. As noted it has always been an important part of the Church’s worship. Hence, the Didache, an early Christian documents devotes a significant portion to the Lord’s Supper. In it we see an early set of prayers associated with this important Christian worship. All of which include strongly thanking God, for allowing this act of Worship. For example: “We thank you father, for the life and knowledge which you have revealed through Jesus, your child. To you be glory forever.”[3] Or “We thank you, Holy Father, for your sacred name which have lodged in our hearts and for the knowledge and faith and immortality which you have revealed through Jesus, your child. To you be glory forever.”[4]

One final thought from Phillip Melanchthon: “Participation in the Lord’s Table… is a certain kind of grace. For he says in Luke 22:20: “This cup… is the new covenant in my blood,” etc. In 1 Cor. 11:25 we read: “Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” This means that when you celebrate communion, you should be reminded of the gospel or the remission of sins. It is not, therefore, a sacrifice if it was given only as a sure reminder of the promise of the gospel. Nor does participation in the Supper destroy sin, but faith destroys it, and faith is strengthened by this sign. The sight of Christ did not justify Stephen when he was on the point of death, but it strengthened the faith through which he was justified and made alive. Likewise, participation in the Supper does not justify, but it strengthens faith as I have said above. All Masses are godless, therefore, except those by which consciences are encouraged for the strengthening of faith. A sacrifice is what we offer to God, but we do not offer Christ to God. But he himself offered up himself once and for all. Therefore, those who perform Masses in order to do some good work or offer Christ to God for the living and the dead with the idea that the oftener this repeated, the better they become, are caught in godless error. …

‘The function of this sacrament, however, is to strength us whenever our consciences totter and whenever we have doubts concerning God’s will toward us.”[5]