Lord's Supper

Mike Ford, reflecting on a Lutheran memorial service he had attended, describes the liturgical formula in a Lutheran service, including communion at the end of the service. The entire nominal Christian world (Orthodox, Protestant, and Roman Catholic) appears oblivious to the understanding that a memorial (such as Memorial Day, Fourth of July, or Pearl Harbor Day) is kept annually. Equivocating with the expression “as oft as you drink it in remembrance of me,” the world’s churches believe they can do this ritual monthly, weekly, daily, or on any special occasion. Many argue that since we do not know the exact hour that Christ and his disciples kept the Passover, we can keep it whenever we want. It is further argued that since Christ changed the symbols of the Passover, the “spiritual intent is more important than the physical ritual, rendering the exact time of its observance unimportant.” Some sentimentalize the Passover ceremony by suggesting that, since newlyweds often celebrate the anniversary of their first date on a monthly basis, Christians also could take the Lord’s Supper in a similar manner. Another spurious argument made is Paul’s admonition in I Corinthians 11:21-22 against drunkenness at these events, suggesting that this was perhaps a frequent occurrence. The changing of the symbols at Passover did not augment the days people could keep it; the frequent practice of a Lord’s Supper derives from Pagan, not biblical origins. The Passover is a once a year ceremony for all baptized members.

David Grabbe, focusing on the behavior censured by the apostle Paul in I Corinthians 11, admonishes that we must properly discern the Lord's Body, not taking the Passover in an unworthy manner. The Body, in this context, refers not only to the literal body of Christ, which was tortured and beaten for sins we have committed, but also to the body of believers of which we are a part, consisting of our Heavenly Father, our Elder Brother, and our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. The bread and wine symbolically binds us together in one fellowship; what we partake of is what we become: the Body of Christ. We are to remember that Jesus Christ saw value in us, in our brethren, and even in the people that we do not yet like, to pay the price for all of our sins.

Richard Ritenbaugh, reflecting upon the formative years of the Church of the Great God, remembers that certain individuals wanted to make radical changes in the church service, including using a contentious debate format. When Herbert W. Armstrong first decided on the method of worship for the Radio Church of God and the Worldwide Church of God, he based it on principles of order and decorum found in large part in I Corinthians, insisting that all things be done decently and in order. Paul's instructions on order are found in I Corinthians 9, 11, 12, and 14, establishing practical guidelines for ministerial authority, the pattern of church governance, the conduct of members and proper observance of the Passover, the organization and division of labor in the church, and establishing guidelines for worship, bringing order out of chaos.

The biblical proof that God's people should keep the Passover (the Lord's Supper), explaining that it occurs annually on the evening of Nisan 14.

The Resurrection was not on Easter Sunday! Easter is not a Christian name, but the title of the idolatrous "queen of heaven." Here's an explanation of the true origin and meaning of Lent, Easter eggs, and sunrise services!