Who is communion for

Communion celebrates that unity just as much as it does our personal salvation. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem— Matthew His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.

Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal. After Jesus miraculously feeds the five thousand, the crowd starts following him. Jesus alludes to a bread from God that he will give them that will provide more than immediate nourishment—it will give them eternal life. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.

The crowds are understandably confused by Jesus words about this bread from God. They naturally make the only association they can, that this is somehow tied to manna. And this same God is offering them true bread from heaven that will feed the entire world.

Still confusing this as a discussion about food, the crowd requests this bread. But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. Here Jesus begins to spell it for the crowd a little more clearly. That is it he who is the bread of life, and those who come to him for sustenance will live forever. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.

I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.

He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. Communion is also a time to be in community with fellow believers, past and present.

As an ordinance that has stretched from the original disciples to twenty-first century believers and is celebrated all over the world, it brings us together as the body of Christ. We should also take the time to examine ourselves to ensure that our relationship with Christ is authentic and genuine.

Not only recalling the inauguration of our relationship with Christ, but also seeking to discover if there is any unconfessed sin impeding our current fellowship with God 1 John —9. Lastly, we would be remiss to ingest these symbols of Christ without a heart that is purposefully thankful.

Different churches and traditions celebrate communion diversely. Below are some of the ways different groups of Christians have celebrated communion, and their reasons why:.

This requirement is drawn from an interpretation of 1 Corinthians to not partake in an unworthy manner. A person also must not have eaten or drank anything besides water with the exception of medicine for an hour before partaking. Finally, they must be in good standing with the Catholic Church. Partakers receive the Eucharist from an ordained priest. Great care is given to honor the sacred nature of the elements, as shown in this excerpt from the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco :.

We make the sign of the cross, tell the priest our baptismal name, hold the Communion cloth carefully under our chin, and open our mouth wide. We do not slurp from the spoon, nor should our teeth scrape on the spoon. After receiving Communion we wipe our lips carefully with the Communion cloth not on our hand or shirtsleeve , make the sign of the cross, and hand the Communion cloth to the next person.

We are always careful that we do not allow Communion to fall from the communion spoon or from our lips onto our clothing or to the floor. For this reason we move very slowly toward the chalice and the communion spoon, and we do not pull our head away quickly after receiving.

We are careful not to bump the chalice or the hand of the priest. After receiving Communion, we do not chew gum or spit , because when we dispose of our gum it may contain particles of Holy Communion. This is where it is no longer easy to state what even a majority of Protestant practices. Some, like Episcopalians, usually use actual wine and communal cups, like Catholic and Orthodox believers.

More liturgical churches like the Anglican, Episcopalian, and Lutheran congregations tend to receive communion from church leaders, perhaps kneeling at the altar. Others, like Baptists, stick to grape juice. Baptist and nondenominational churches often tend to pass around a tray of the elements or allow congregation members to approach tables and self-serve. NewSpring Church. What is communion and why do we do it? Facebook Twitter Pinterest.

Week One. What's happening at NewSpring Church? And in the same way, as I take this cup representing Your blood poured out from a splintered cross, I realize that You were the supreme sacrifice for all my sin: past, present, and future.

Because of Your blood shed for me, and Your body broken for me, I can be free from the power and penalty of sin. Thank You for Your victory over death. You took the death that I deserved. You took my punishment. Your pain was indeed my gain. And today I remember and celebrate the precious gift of life You gave me through the blood that You spilled.

Each time I take communion, Lord, I want to recommit my life, my heart, my thoughts, my everything to You. Fill me today with Your powerful Spirit. As I leave this place, help me to hold this fresh remembrance and the story that never grows old close to my heart. Help me to share its message faithfully as You give opportunity. In Your Precious name, amen.

This article originally appeared on SamStorms. Used with permission. Sam Storms is an Amillennial, Calvinistic, charismatic, credo-baptistic, complementarian, Christian Hedonist who loves his wife of 44 years, his two daughters, his four grandchildren, books, baseball, movies, and all things Oklahoma University.

This article is part of our larger resource library of terms important to the Christian faith. From heaven and hell to communion and baptism, we want to provide easy to read and understand articles that answer your questions about theological terms and their meaning. What is Sin? Shoebox Collection Week is Here! Why is it Called the Lord's Supper or Communion? What is the Purpose of Communion?

To commemorate the death of Christ: "This do in remembrance of me. In this ordinance Christ ratifies his promises to his people, and they on their part solemnly consecrate themselves to him and to his entire service. To be a badge of the Christian profession. To indicate and to promote the communion of believers with Christ.