Meaning

Intercourse between two or more persons; esp., intimate association and intercourse implying sympathy and confidence; interchange of thoughts, purposes, etc.; agreement; fellowship; as, the communion of saints. Unlike Baptism, which is a one time event, Communion is a practice that is meant to be observed over and over throughout the life of a Christian. It is a holy time of worship when we corporately come together as one body to remember and celebrate what Christ did for us.

Why do we observe Communion?

∙ We observe Communion because the Lord told us to. We are to obey His commands:

And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 1

Elements: Bread and wine

A Sample Service of Communion

In the following two essays, I explained the basic structure of the two parts of a Christian worship service:

∙ The Service of the Word

∙ The Service of Communion

In those essays, I posited a Generic Christian church—something on the order of an Orthodox Catholic Anglican Protestant church—that is ecumenically broad enough to be in Communion with all contemporary mainline church organizations, yet historically deep enough to be true to our common Christian heritage: In other words, if time-traveling fourth-century Christians were to visit this church, they’d feel at home.

In churches with infrequent Communion, it’s common for Communion services to be overly long, because it is a special occasion. There is the problem of making it too somber, as if it were a funeral for Jesus. This service should show you how to avoid both problems.

Avoiding Problems and Bloopers

But first, some important things for clergy who compose their own liturgies or who conduct extemporaneous Communion services:

∙ Teach the congregation why you are making a change before you make it.

∙ Be careful with the prayer of confession.

∙ Do not misquote Jesus.

∙ Do not say “this is my body, broken for you.”

∙ Be careful with inclusive language; it can backfire.

The Service of Communion (The Eucharist)

Now I’m going to show you a Communion liturgy. The footnotes indicate which Scripture is being obeyed, quoted, or alluded to. Click on the footnote number to see the footnotes.

The member of the clergy who leads Communion is called the ‘celebrant.’

If you are clergy in a denomination that requires or recommends a specific Communion liturgy, don’t stray from it. However, if you are clergy in a denomination that does not give you that sort of guidance, you can use this as a resource for a historic, orthodox, scriptural, and complete Communion service.

Confession

The congregation and celebrant together:

O Lord Jesus Christ,

We confess that we have sinned against you

     in our thoughts, words, and deeds.

We have had anxieties about the future,

     even though we proclaim you as Lord.

We have failed to love our neighbors,

     and we have disobeyed your commands.

Have mercy upon us, Lord Jesus,

Forgive us our sins

     and cleanse us of all unrighteousness

That we may walk in your ways

     and serve you in grace and love.

This we ask in your holy Name

Amen.[1]

Absolution

The celebrant:

The Lord Jesus Christ is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness; therefore you are forgiven! You are cleansed of all unrighteousness, and you are worthy to partake of this holy meal.[2]

Sursum Corda

The celebrant, with congregational responses in italics:

The Lord be with you![3]

Congregation: “and also with you.”

Lift up your hearts![4]

Congregation: “We lift them up to the Lord”

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!

Congregation: “It is right to give him our thanks and praise.”

The whole Communion service is essentially one big prayer. The celebrant begins with wording that is appropriate to the occasion or the season, then continues:

It is a right, good, proper, and joyful thing, at all times, and in all places to give you thanks, Lord God. We join our voices with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven who forever sing this song:

Tersanctus

The celebrant, the congregation, the choir, a reader, or a singer:

Holy, holy,

     holy Lord

God of power and might

     Heaven and earth are full of your glory[5]

Hosanna in the highest!

     Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord

Hosanna in the highest![6]

Anamnesis

The celebrant:

In the beginning, O Lord, you created us for yourself. But even though we have fallen through our disobedience to sin and death, you in your infinite mercy, grace, and love sent your only begotten Son our Savior Jesus Christ, to live among us as a man, born of a virgin. He suffered every hardship and adversity, every trial, trouble, tribulation, and temptation that we face—except without sin.[7] Finally, He stretched out His arms upon the cross in perfect obedience to your will and offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.[8]

On the night on which our Lord Jesus was given over to suffering and death through the betrayal of a friend, He took bread, and after He had blessed it and given thanks to you for it, O Lord, He gave it to His disciples and said, “Take, eat, this is my Body, which is given for you.” After the supper, he took the cup, and after He had blessed it and given thanks to you for it, O Lord, He said, “Drink of this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new covenant, which is shed for the remission of your sins and the sins of the whole world.”[9]

Therefore, as often as we eat this bread and drink of this cup, we eat the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.[10] We proclaim His death until He comes again.[11] Let us proclaim the mystery of our faith:

Mysterion

The celebrant and the congregation together:

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ is coming again!

Epiclesis

The celebrant:

Lord Holy Spirit, you are the giver of life in whom we live and move and have our being; consecrate this bread and wine to be, for us, the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ[12] and consecrate us, O Lord, to partake of this holy meal. (Additional wording can go here.) All this we ask, Lord Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the glory of His Father, Amen. Therefore we pray the prayer our Lord taught us, saying:

Lord’s Prayer

The celebrant and the congregation together:

(The Lord’s Prayer)

Fraction

The celebrant:

As Paul said to the Corinthians, I say to you: Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Let us keep the feast![13]

May the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you unto eternal life.

The Distribution

If the people come forward, the Communion servers might be tempted to pray long prayers with each parishioner as they take Communion, but that only lengthens the service and bores the congregation. It’s best to keep it short and meaningful, and to say the exact same thing to each person, so no one feels like someone else got special attention or that they were publicly singled out. Remember, this is Communion, not the altar call.

The person giving out the bread could say to each person, “The body of Christ, the bread of heaven,” or other words to that effect.

The person distributing the Communion wine could say to each person, “The blood of Christ, the cup of salvation,” or other words to that effect.

If one person is giving out both, they could say, “May the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you unto eternal life,” or other appropriate words.

Prayer祷告

The celebrant:

We thank you, Lord God, that you have fed us with these holy mysteries of the Body and Blood of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. By eating His Body, we become members of His Body,[14] and thus His agents in this world. Help us to be the distributors of your blessings, the agents of your providence, the instruments of your grace, and the ambassadors of your love to all the people we meet in our everyday lives. By drinking His Blood, we have taken on His life,[15] which was not finally pierced by the cross nor smothered in the tomb, but lasts for evermore. We thank you for this, the medicine of immortality; the antidote to death. All this we pray in the most holy and precious name of Jesus Christ, because He is alive, and He reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit. You are one God, now and forever, Amen.

圣餐所表明以及所印证的事



1、所表明的事



圣礼藉着外表的印记总是表明出一种或多种属灵的真理。圣餐的印记不但包括了看得见的饼与杯，而且也包括了领受主的身与主的血。圣餐所表明的有数点：(1)圣餐是象征性地表明主的死(林前11：26)。(2)圣餐也表明信徒象征性地在钉死的基督里有分。(3)圣餐也代表我们在灵性上领受了主的杯与主的饼，所以领受圣餐也即表示有生命、力量以及喜乐赐给了我们的心灵。(4)圣餐也是一种象征，因我们信徒都是基督奥秘身体上的肢体，因此也就彼此之间有了合一。



2、所印证的事



圣餐不但是表记，而且也是一种印证。圣礼中这两个要素是很密切地连接起来的。圣礼是一种印记，以及所表明的一切，组合起来成了一种印证!印证与圣礼所表明的事有密切的关系，而且因为有了印证，圣礼所表明的事也必成就。(1)圣餐印证了基督伟大的爱，从他甘愿受羞辱、受痛苦以致于死的事上，显示了出来。(2)因圣餐的印证，使那些分享此圣礼的信徒获得了神的保证与确据，就是恩约的一切应许，也领受了福音的丰盛。(3)这圣礼的印证更使那领受圣礼的信徒有了保证，得知他自己确已获得了救恩之福。(4)这圣礼的印证同时也使那些因信而领受的人，真正地立誓承认基督为主。他们承认他们对主的信仰，承认他为他们个人的救主，同时也甘愿跟从主，高举他为王，以庄重地立誓要一生顺服他至上的命令!

基督教各主要派别共有的重要圣事。圣餐的设立源于耶稣与门徒共进最后晚餐，掰饼分酒给门徒时所说“这是我的身体”、“这是我的血”。基督教认为饼和酒是耶稣为救赎人类被钉于十字架的象征，基督教的一些派别认为耶稣以某种特殊的方式存在于圣餐中，但对于这种存在的方式各派说法不一。天主教称此圣事为圣体，使用无酵饼，而且一般信徒领受时不领圣血。东正教称圣餐为圣体血，使用发酵饼，信徒可领受圣体和圣血。新教各派不接受天主教传统的圣体礼仪，信徒可领饼亦可领杯（圣血）。各宗派的圣餐礼仪形式不尽相同，安立甘宗和信义宗的圣餐礼与天主教较接近。加尔文宗则认为饼和酒仅为基督血肉的代表。公谊派认为圣餐只是形式，故不举行这一圣事。基督教各派的圣餐礼均由神职人员主持。

圣餐