On Sunday May 6, 2012, North United Methodist Church will host a tradition that is called “A Communion Breakfast”. I have tried to research this tradition to uncover its meaning and have come up with the understanding that this is one of the various expressions of a holy meal adopted by this congregation. There are several bases for this meal.
First, during his ministry, Jesus often gathered his disciples around a meal after opening the scriptures to them. When he shared the Last Supper with his disciples, it was in celebration of the Feast of the Passover, which recalls God’s deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Jesus fed five thousand men, besides women and children, after a busy day of teaching and healing. The fellowship meal and the Eucharist was an important feature of the church during the Apostolic era. Paul encourages the church at Galatia to sing hymns and psalms and spiritual songs and to participate in the breaking of bread and sharing of the cup until Jesus comes again.
How does the Holy Meal play itself out in the United Methodist Church? In preparation for the United Methodist General Conference in 2004, the church carried out a study on United Methodists’ understandings of Holy Communion in the United States and in several other territories where the church exists. The results were heartening. More than anything else, United Methodists wanted to experience Holy Communion more frequently than they were at that time. Thus as a result of the study, the 2004 General Conference passed a resolution that included, among other things:
- That United Methodists could increase the frequency of Holy Communion. Some churches went to a weekly Communion and others to a bi-monthly Communion.
- That wine (fermented grape juice) is allowed in addition to grape juice. Wine was not seen as a substitution for grape juice, but in addition to. The choice must always be made clear for participants.
During the seventeen hundreds as the Methodist movement developed, John Wesley adopted the Love Feast having experienced it with the Moravians. The Love Feast, or Agape meal is a Christian fellowship meal recalling the meals Jesus shared with his disciples during his ministry and express the koinonia community, sharing fellowship enjoyed by the family of Christ. Early Love Feasts began and ended with thanksgiving and prayer and according to Wesley, were celebrated “in a decent and solemn manner.” Sometimes, the Love Feast has been held when there was no-one present to consecrate the elements for Holy Communion. Anyone may conduct the Love Feast, which features the presentation of testimony and praise by individuals.
In the report to the General Conference 2004 titled “This Holy Mystery”, the story is told of a little girl whose parents had taken her forward to receive Holy Communion. Disappointed with the small piece of bread she was given to dip in the cup, the child cried loudly, “I want more! I want more!” While embarrassing to her parents and amusing to the pastor and congregation, this little girl’s cry accurately expresses the feelings of many contemporary United Methodist people. We want more! We want more than we are receiving from the sacrament of Holy Communion as it is practiced in our churches.
Holy Communion is one of the two recognized sacraments in the Protestant Church. There are several different understandings of Holy Communion, which have developed over the centuries. Roman Catholicism teaches that the substance of bread and wine are changed (although not visibly) into the actual body and blood of Christ (sometimes called transubstantiation). Protestant Reformers in the sixteenth century rejected this teaching but had diverse ideas among themselves. Lutherans maintain that Christ’s body and blood are truly present in and with the elements of bread and wine in the celebration (sometimes erroneously called corporeal presence or consubstantiation). Ulrich Zwingli, a Swiss reformer, taught that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial or reminder of Christ’s sacrifice, an affirmation of faith, and a sign of Christian fellowship. Although his name may be unfamiliar, Zwingli’s views are widely shared today, especially within evangelical churches. Denominations in the Reformed tradi-tion, following John Calvin, maintain that although Christ’s body is in heaven, when Holy Communion is received with true faith, the power of the Holy Spirit nourishes those who partake. The Church of England affirmed a somewhat similar view in its Catechism and Articles of Religion. These understandings (stated here very simplistically) suggest the range of ideas that were available to John and Charles Wesley and the early Methodists.
Like baptism, Holy Communion is regarded by Protestants as a sacrament. That is, it’s an act of worship ordained by Christ and is a means of grace. This does not mean that we become any more worthy of God’s grace by taking part in Communion. Rather, we open ourselves to the divine love that’s already there; we become more ready to receive that love and to respond to it. As with baptism, we use common, physical gifts of the earth, bread and wine—though in United Methodist churches we prefer unfermented grape juice. All Christians are welcome at our table, whatever their denomination. Holy Communion is a family meal, and all Christians are members of Christ’s family. Therefore, in each congregation, when we receive the bread and cup, we join with millions of brothers and sisters across the ages and around the world. Holy Communion (or the Lord’s Supper) is a mystery too deep for words. Its meaning will vary for each of us and from one time to another. But three essential meanings are caught up in this proclamation in our Communion service: “Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again” (The United Methodist Hymnal, p. 14).
In part, Communion is a time to remember Jesus’ death, his self-giving sacrifice on our behalf. As he said to the disciples at their last meal together, “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24). In remembering his passion and crucifixion, we remember our own guilt; for we know that in our sin we crucify Christ many times over from day to day. So the Lord’s Supper is a time of confession: “We confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart….We have not heard the cry of the needy” (The United Methodist Hymnal, p. 12).
But Communion is not a memorial service for a dead Jesus. It’s not a time to wallow in our own guilt. It’s a time to celebrate the Resurrection, to recognize and give thanks for the Risen Christ. The bread and wine represent the living presence of Christ among us—though we do not claim, as some denominations do, that they become Christ’s body and blood.
In Luke’s Resurrection story, the Risen Christ broke bread with two of his followers at Emmaus, “then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him” (24:31). So, as we’re nourished by this meal, our eyes are opened; and we recognize Christ here in our congregation, our community, and our world. What’s our response? Thanksgiving! In fact, another of our words for Communion, the Eucharist, means thanksgiving.
In Communion we also celebrate the final victory of Christ. We anticipate God’s coming reign, God’s future for this world and all creation. As Jesus said, “I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29).
So as we participate in our Communion breakfast we will hold all these things in mind.
The Communion breakfast is a Love Feast and a Eucharistic celebration in which we enjoy fellowship through Christ with Christians across the ages and around the world. We will share a meal and participate in Holy Communion. We will share testimonies and affirm our faith in God’s goodness and give thanks for the many ways in which God continues to bless us. But first and foremost we will worship God.