You know not the day nor the hour – a meditation on the nearness of death

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You know not the day nor the hour – a meditation on the nearness of death

Two things today made me think about death (not a topic that is often on my mind).

Firstly, I was on a plane that had three landing attempts at Manila airport aborted by post-typhoon storm conditions. As we suddenly surged back up and circled there was time to think about what could have been.

Secondly, I was talking with some missionaries from the south of the Philippines where a Muslim insurgency continues to take lives.

And meanwhile there are the folk who went shopping Nairobi and to church in Pakistan last weekend and who suddenly found themselves at death’s door.

People die while going about the ordinary business of life. The Lord warns that he will return at an unexpected time when life just rolls along (Matt 24:36-44). One will be on a plane whose landing is aborted, another will be shopping and yet another will be sitting at worship.

The reality is, none of us knows how or when we will die. Most can expect to die in an average age band and in a hospital of a known illness and with family surrounding. But none of us knows if that is our future or whether this is the day that we die.

So what do we do? It’s simple really: you also must be ready, for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect (Matt 24:44).  Make a Will. Leave your affairs organised. Ensure your standing with God through a credible faith in Jesus Christ that is manifested in godly living. And then we are free – free to live and die in old age or free to die today.

In the event my plane landed safely and the event is fading from memory. Meanwhile news of the Kenyan shopping mall massacre will be replaced by sporting news or celebrity tales. And the Pakistani church killing barely made the headlines anyway.

Most of us will go on living as though tomorrow will have endless tomorrows and thinking that death happens to someone else. How soon we forget that day whose nearness and importance demands we give it attention now.

Derrida deconstructs

Derrida deconstructs[1]

Sometimes,

a falling leaf 

is 

Just a falling leaf

---

[1] Written 9 Oct 2004 – death of Derrida

How often? The celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

How often? The celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

I was recently part of a church that celebrated the Lord’s Supper weekly – a simple act within the regular Sunday service. At around the same time I visited a Christian college that celebrated the Supper twice within four days (once at a commencement service and another at a college retreat). I have been a pastor in churches that did so quarterly and another did so monthly.

All this prompts me to ask: how often should the Lord’s Supper (or Communion or Eucharist) be celebrated?

Christian practice varies from daily celebration, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, spasmodically or never. A daily celebration is associated with the more liturgical churches and is probably linked to a view that forgiving grace is actually conferred in the sacrament. The Salvation Army does not recognise any sacraments. Some newer Christian groups celebrate the Lord’s Supper on no particular timing. These latter groups aside, regular celebration of the Lord’s Supper is common among Christians, however much they disagree in their understanding and administration of the event.

My Christian tradition is the Presbyterian and practice varies there. Calvin unsuccessfully sought a weekly celebration, John Knox wanted monthly and the First Book of Discipline (1562) set a rule of quarterly communion in rural areas and monthly in the towns. The latter suggests a degree of flexibility linked to the availability of authorised clergy. By the eighteenth century, an annual celebration was common. This constituted a communion season including a fast day (Thursday), a preparatory service where communion tokens were distributed (Saturday), Sunday Communion and a following thanksgiving service (Monday).

What do the Bible and early historical documents reveal?

1 Cor. 11:20 hints that the Lord’s Supper is associated with every coming together of God’s people. This is presumably a reference to the weekly meeting which had moved from Saturday to Sunday within the New Testament era (eg Acts 13:13-14; 16:13; 17:2 compared with Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2; Col 2:16-17; Rev 1:10).

A non-Biblical source (Pliny’s Letter to the Emperor Trajan, c112AD) refers to early morning gatherings of Christians on a ‘fixed day’ (presumably, but not necessarily, Sunday) at which various activities were undertaken including a later gathering to eat ‘ordinary but innocent food’. This sounds more like a common fellowship meal than the Lord’s Supper, but it may hint at something more.

Another non-Biblical source from the early-mid second century (the Didache) says: ‘But every Lord's Day gather yourselves together, and break bread’ and gives some instructions about the manner in which the Communion or Eucharist is to be kept. Assuming that ‘bread-breaking’ equates to Communion, this is evidence of a weekly celebration.

The Biblical and historical evidence noted above seems most consistent with a practice of weekly celebration. Much is to be said for this. A weekly celebration keeps the grace of the Cross, and thus the heart of the gospel, visibly before the congregation’s eyes, whatever may or may not be done to keep it audibly before their ears. The ritual (and I use the term carefully) involved with the Supper, when coupled with a weekly celebration, helps prompt a weekly examination of ourselves before Christ and a consideration of how we see his body (arguably, both the crucified body of Jesus and the body of his church – 1 Cor. 11:29).

So, there are both early precedents and arguments for a weekly celebration. Likewise, there are later precedents and other arguments for other timings.

Note however, that precedents are not precepts, however ancient they are. This is true even when the precedents are found within the Bible for it is dangerous to mount a simple argument that just because the Apostles did something (precedent) we should do the same (precept). It is wise advice to look for an independent word of Scripture before making the move from apostolic precedent to normative precept.

Although the precedent and arguments for a weekly celebration have force, care is needed on another ground. Weekly Communion may be helpful etc, but that is a far cry from warrant to enforce it.  Col 2:1-16-17 is relevant: Therefore let no one pass judgement on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. These words were written with respect to Jewish regulations, but also have application to Christian church order. Christ is the substance of our faith and compulsion in matters of ceremonies (even the ceremony most remembering him) easily undermines the gospel.

Pehaps it is best not to be doctrinaire with respect to the frequency of the Supper or judge those who timing differs from our own. Rather let us ensure that ‘as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup’ (1 Cor. 11:26) we share the body of Christ (1 Cor. 10:16), discern the Lord’s body (1 Cor. 11:29), serve one another (1 Cor. 11:20-22,33-34 and proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Cor. 11:26).