The Frequency of the Lord's Supper

[diakonos]

Originally Posted by Apostolic1ness

no offence but That verse should be left in context.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Scott Pitta]

William Francis Manley, who brought Pentecostalism to San Francisco, emphasized healing and the Lord's Supper. I do not know of other early California Pentecostals with such a signature emphasis.

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

William Francis Manley, who brought Pentecostalism to San Francisco, emphasized healing and the Lord's Supper. I do not know of other early California Pentecostals with such a signature emphasis.

Perhaps New Testament restoration was not yet complete?

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

William Francis Manley, who brought Pentecostalism to San Francisco, emphasized healing and the Lord's Supper. I do not know of other early California Pentecostals with such a signature emphasis.

Gene Scott was ALL about people getting their healing during the Communion service.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

William Francis Manley, who brought Pentecostalism to San Francisco, emphasized healing and the Lord's Supper. I do not know of other early California Pentecostals with such a signature emphasis.

The Catholics teach that taking communion imparts eternal life to the soul. It is a very short hop skip and jump from there to thinking that taking communion can impart divine healing to the individual. Especially when one thinks of communion as a wafer or part of a wafer, to be eaten in solemn ritualistic manner with much introspection, almost like a magic rite.

Whereas, Biblically, the actual action of taking communion was a common method of sharing bread at a meal to signify unity (a loaf of bread broken up and shared to the members, not the leftover catholic wafer ritual so common today).

[Costeon]

Originally Posted by votivesoul

It is very difficult to have a love feast in a traditionally organized and structured church assembly. House churches or other churches with a strong emphasis on home groups can more frequently have the Lord's Supper.

Another concern is whether the specific, admittedly Passover-based elements must always be present (that is, unleavened bread in particular and wine in general, lamb notwithstanding). If it is the case that these features must be present, it becomes even more difficult for some assemblies.

It's unfortunate that there is not more information given in the NT about how the Lord's Supper was (and is to be) conducted, specifically was a larger meal absolutely essential to it, what did that meal consist of, etc.

Paul only invests bread and wine with spiritual significance (1 Cor 11.23-26), so those seem to be all that is absolutely necessary. But in what quantities I don't know.

Since Paul only mentions taking the bread and wine (same passage as above), I would say that those are all that are necessary and no other Passover-based elements must be present. The Passover was the setting for the first Lord's Supper, but it is not apparently the guide for its continued practice.

[Costeon]

Originally Posted by Esaias

If having a frequent Lord's Supper, I would say regular bread may be used (except during Passover). But if done say once a year, unleavened bread would seem preferable, as it then becomes more of a Passover-type memorial.

Don't forget the footwashing!

Right now I'm not sure whether the bread is supposed to be unleavened or leavened. The Orthodox Church uses leavened--I think because the rising of the bread with leaven is to remind them of the resurrection. The Catholic Church now uses unleavened--I think to more closely follow the first Lord's Supper. Most Protestant churches and Pentecostal churches I'm familiar with use those little unleavened cracker things or styrofoam-like wafers. :-)

In some sense we are living a perpetual Passover: "7 For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." Does that imply we should use unleavened bread? I don't know.

Regarding footwashing, do you mean that that needs to be done every time the Lord's Supper is celebrated or just once a year?

[Costeon]

Originally Posted by Holy Roller

In my home church now, we usually have Communion once a year, typically around the time of Resurrection Sunday. We have had it the Saturday before or after so that the service can be prolonged to include a foot washing, testimonies, and things of that nature. This year we didn't get to have one because of funerals, sick babies, and my Pastors overseeing three different congregations (one church was left in their care after the death of an Elder in December).

Coming up, when we attended Baptist and Nazarene churches, I still remember Communion usually being once a year. There may have been instances where it was more frequent, but all the churches I've attended have officiated the service once a year.

Do you recall your pastors ever explaining from Scripture why it should be only once a year?

[Costeon]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

The reason I believe the most scriptural is:

Acts 20:7

7And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

They met on the first of the week to break bread. I take that to mean as in communion. Thats why when I Pastored we did this. When an aquaintance later on down the road asked me to be an elder with him he believed once a month would be ok.

He was the founding Pastor so I deferred to him. When I am leading a communion service I prefer using unleavened bread and wine altho Grape juice would be acceptable.

The passage in Acts 20 is interesting. It is the only instance that I can recall where a meeting of believers on the Lord's Day is mentioned, and it so happens that the breaking of bread is involved within the context of a spiritual gathering (Paul preaches).

Do you think the passage in 1 Cor 11 indicates the believers in Corinth were celebrating Communion often, perhaps each week?

[Costeon]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

William Francis Manley, who brought Pentecostalism to San Francisco, emphasized healing and the Lord's Supper. I do not know of other early California Pentecostals with such a signature emphasis.

Interesting. It's been awhile since I've been on this forum, but I seem to recall that you are really interested in early Pentecostal history. Do you know if there were ever any debates in the early Pentecostal movement over the place of the Lord's Supper in worship? I emailed a prof at UGST once about this, but did not receive an answer.

As far as I know there was no debate. If this is the case, I would imagine it was because the groups from which most Pentecostals came had similar views about it's frequency and so it was not controversial.

When discussing the Lord's Supper with a couple of UPCI pastors, it seemed that they just couldn't believe that frequent Communion could possibly be Apostolic; otherwise, it would have been revealed/recovered in the early 20th century along with the Oneness of God, Jesus' name baptism, etc.