From a Facebook post earlier this week: “Cyril (d. 444), Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, on the Lord’s supper, a weekly practice. ‘If the poison of pride is swelling up in you, turn to the Eucharist; and that bread, which is your God humbled and disguised, will teach you humility. If the fever of selfish greed rages in you, feed on this bread; and you will learn generosity. If the cold wind of coveting withers you, hasten to the bread of angels; and charity will come to blossom in your heart. If you feel the itch of intemperance, nourish yourself with the flesh and blood of Christ, who practiced heroic self-control during his earthly life; and you will become temperate. If you are lazy and sluggish about spiritual things, strengthen yourself with this heavenly food; and you will grow fervent. Lastly, if you feel scorched by the fever of impurity, go to the banquet of the angels; and the spotless flesh of Christ will make you pure and chaste.’”
The word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving.” This was a post from a local preacher who, some of us are observing, is descending into denominationalism. Be that as it may, to this post I replied, “Or, better yet, turn to the Lord, learn His will, and implement His life and teaching, making it your own (Eph. 5.1). There is nothing magical about the Lord's Supper, which these words convey.” His reply to this was that he respectfully disagreed, meaning (as I interpreted it) that he did not want to have a conversation concerning this.
Let me, then, give some attention to this topic, reflecting on the sacredness, importance, and spiritual nature of the Lord's Supper.
The Lord's Supper is sacred, meaning the solemn occasion is dedicated in service to the Lord. That which we share in weekly, we do so to memorialize the Lord’s life, death, and resurrection. What we participate in weekly is (should be) a reflection of how we live life. Does one gain spiritual strength from it? He (she) should, but it will only be in relation to one’s obedience to the Lord’s will, similar as one would in prayer and praise.
The importance of the Lord's Supper is that the command to observe is only for those who are Christians; it is not for those who have not obeyed the Gospel because they do not understand what they are doing. Churches of Christ practice “open communion,” meaning that each person must take account for himself in relation to the Lord. Some of us may have doubt about the spiritual standing of others; doubt we may have, but it matters not because one’s spiritual standing belongs to the one participating and the Lord. There are some churches that practice “closed communion,” meaning that only those who are members of the church where they worship can share in the sacred occasion.
There is nothing in the participation of the weekly communion that corresponds to the words of the 5th century bishop (above). Search the New Testament and see if you find anything like what he said. If not, then why express sentiments like this? This is done because there is in the minds of some a “sacramental” approach to ritual. The word “sacrament” means something done / participated in is the instrument of divine grace or, in other words, there is an extra measure of divine pleasure coming from the Lord that would not otherwise be experienced. Thus, the spiritual focus of the communion (the Lord's Supper) is amplified to something the Lord never intended. There is no magical aura associated with one’s observance. The Christian observes the Lord’s Supper because the Lord wants him (her) to, nothing more.
The Lord's Supper is sacred, important, spiritual, not magical. -Ron Thomas
- Ron Thomas preaches for the Church of Christ at Rio Grande in Bidwell, OH. He may be contacted at etsop95@gmail.com. Visit the congregation’s website at: https://www.churchofchristatriogrande.com
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