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What do the Bible and early historical documents reveal?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).