Trinity Lutheran Church
N60 W6047 Columbia Road
Cedarburg, WI 53012
(262) 377-0610

Communion Every Week?

What is so special about communion? Is it the bread and wine? Is it the act of coming forward ready to confess your sins (inwardly) and being forgiven? Is it "basking" in the present relationship with God and others? Is it because the meal is symbolic of greater things -- God's love for us? Is it a reminder of who Jesus was and is and what he did for us? Are we asked to follow suit?

When Jesus' disciples came together after Jesus died and was resurrected, they met over a meal and shared their stories. I can only assume they were talking about their witnessing adventures, but perhaps they were talking about their everyday work lives as well. They talked and ate -- maybe in the manner that Jesus showed them. They sung some songs and probably prayed together and then went out into the world to make a difference in Jesus' name. More than likely they did this every week. The meal they ate together was both incredibly special and incredibly ordinary. It was special because their purpose was to remember the life and words of Jesus, to give thanksgiving to God, and to share and support one another in their callings over dinner. They were continuing to build the relationships that they formed when Jesus first called them. Or they built relationships with others new to the faith. It was an ordinary occasion because after all it was only bread, wine and some other food common to them at the time. Yet, Jesus had a way of making the ordinary extraordinary.

We are asking the question: Could we share in the meal at every worship service? This is something to take a good thoughtful look at. Some may say that if we have communion every week it makes it more mundane rather than keeping it special. That's a point to consider. But also consider this. During his ministry Jesus offered his disciples the "Lord's Prayer" as a way of praying -- assuming that they prayed. In Ephesians 6:18 Paul tells his friend (and us) to "pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication." We pray the Lord's Prayer every week because Jesus gave it to his disciples (of which we are a part) and also because it is part of our identity as Christians. In this special prayer not only do we pray for ourselves, but we pray for others as well. This prayer may become "rote" because we say it each week, but it is still powerful and meaningful. I believe that is true for communion as well.

We are also invited to share in the meal that Jesus made special -- not only for our sakes, but for the sakes of all of God's creation. Martin Luther, John Calvin and John Wesley -- some of the early Christian Reformers -- had always intended to keep the sacrament of Holy Communion as a weekly part of the worship service, but for some reason it got lost throughout the years.

When we celebrate both Word and Sacrament in our worship services, we engage most all of our senses during the worship time together. We speak prayers and sing hymns. We touch one another during the passing of the peace, we listen to the spoken word through scripture reading and sermon, and we see, smell and taste the bread and wine during Holy Communion. One of these individual parts is not greater than the other; rather they should naturally flow from one to another during worship. As you remember from your confirmation days Holy Communion "The words 'given for you' and 'shed for you for the forgiveness of sins' shows us that forgiveness of sin, life and salvation are given to us in the sacrament through these words, because where there is forgiveness of sin, there is also life and salvation." M. Luther in the Small Catechism

We in the Worship and Music Committee would like your opinion on this question: Is it possible for us to share in Holy Communion together at every worship service? Please let one of us know. Our committee members are: Sharon Oberheu, Mark Anderson, Carol Anderson, Lois Helm, Carole Griffiths, Rich Weber, Ingrid Pierson, and Pastor Brent.