"14 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. 15 He said to them, "With fervent I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I SUFFER,"
17 Then He took a cup, and gave thanks, and said "Take this and divide it among yourselves, 19 He took bread, gave thanks and BROKE IT, and gave to them, saying "This is my body given for you, do this in remembrance of Me"
In this little mind of mine,
I now understand through God's grace ofcause, that... The secret of partaking in the "Holly Communion" is through brokennesss, as we rather reclaim our broken conditions instead of denying them.
Teach in our private conversations you've opened up about your own portion of hardship & struggles with family disfunctions, which I won't dwell much in hense those were our private chatts.
Likewise with you Michael
Sharing about how much your ex-wife tortured you in former days, from silent treatment to a point of prison.
Our past experiences are certainly not the main issue here, rather the depth of our brokennesss is the reason why i'm posting is question to you my dear friends.
When partaking in Holly Communion
Breaking the very bread that represents Jesus' body,
And drinking from the same cup of wine that represents He's blood, we therefore share and acknowledge what He went through for our sakes, while we have our own brokennesss in mind to go share with others who are rejected, unloved, betrayed, abused, presoned both physically & spiritually and tortured in many different ways.
The breaking of the bread would have been compromised with limitations when relating with what Jesus could have felt when going through.... If we didn't have our own experiences to relate to Him with.
Having said the above for clarity in how I somehow understand the impact of eating the Holly Comminion in my little mind (could really be 100% wrong and open for correction from you senour friends who are advanced in the Lord than I currently am)
I am then asking you this dear beloved friends of mine:
Can I eat the Holly Comminion by myself in the privacy of my place, since I sometimes miss services on Sundays (due to work related issues when having events) and wonder if maybe i'm missing the Holly Comminion in the midst of my fellows, just as it kinda feels right when one shares' with others as Jesus did with the 12?
Will I be connecting when breaking and eating by myself?
Lately I have a bad habit of writing a long story when asking a question, when i try to sumerize it..... It gives no sense as i am reading it before posting, then can't really expect the next person to understand what I meant.
1 Corinthians 11:23�For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:�
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.�
25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.�
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.�
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
*****
As always, you've asked an intriguing question which there is probably no right or wrong answer. �I am no expert on this topic.
I believe communion is between you and God...while the church may host a communion service, some churches serve communion every week, others once a year or month...the command is "as often as you do it". �The purpose is to acknowledge & remember the death of Christ. �The elements, the bread and wine or juice (fruit of the vine), are symbolic whether you are in a church, at home or wherever you might 'remember' Christ's death in this manner.
I happen to serve in the baby nursery on the night's my church has communion. �Now they bring the bread and juice to us in the nursery (for a long time they didn't). �I could not hear all the Scripture reading or comments from the pastor or the prayer offered, but I bowed my head, examining myself, before I partook.
I believe God is looking at our heart and intent, as He always does. �He understands your circumstances and your intent. �So I believe you are ok to partake of communion at your home.
I agree with teach but Jesus also tell us that where 2 or more are gathered together in His name there He is in our midst.
We are the body and we are called to not be alone.
I am learning this because I am a loner. What greater fellowship is their with others than taking of the rememerance of Jesus?
Maby you can invite another or two believers for a short small gathering once a week or once a month to partake together as the working body of Christ.
Maybe you can sit around a table or even on the floor and read some scripture together each choosing a scripture to bring. Make it a intimate moment as Jesus had with His deciples and then take the sacriments.
It could take maybe 30 minutes.
I know in some countries church services can take half a day. We Americans with our fast food and fast services dont realise this.
"What greater fellowship is their with others than taking of the remembrance of Jesus"
Exactly friendship
He (Jesus) broke..... So He could share....
Yah without sharing it may be compromised of its intimacy, and the power of doing this united with other fellows.
Likewise with our little portions' of brokennesss, without sharing fruits that came forth as a package of the trails endured, our experiences lose the significant and therefore fail to influence/affect the next part who should be enjoying the fruits.
* Through He's rejection, we were accepted
* He was hated, so we could be loved
* He was brosed, so we could be heald
* He was poor, so we could be rich
Its en endless list friendship
The point is that, today we enjoy fruits of what He went through.
Why then must we expect fruits of our sufferings not to impact others positively?
It wasn't only for our own good that we were wounded.
After Jacob was wounded from wrestling with God, he was blessed enough to share with the very brother whom he betrayed by stealing he's blessings.
Thank you so much Michael for time taken in partaking in this,
Once more it was worth joining heads together as to how one can go about this if missing services.
You're always ready to serve... God will reward your efforts.
You lady dear are soooooooooooo in my mind. Every working moment of my day you're in my mind. I feel at peace with you, don't even feel the distance, its as if you're here for me to talk with, a friend I talk to with anything. At times I wonder how do you lower yourself to my level... A 29year old when there's such age gap between us.
I appreciate you dear for the way you challenge me and make me think.
I'm mostly greatful of the shared passage in your reply on our conversation. This topic wouldn't have been without God's word
"26 Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord"
How glad am I that you've brought that passage to my attention. Matters are always better off spoken about, than doing things with a narrow mind and therefore making errors.
Thank you so much darling sis
You have your way of blessings me.
Hopefully God will provide me with a suitable friend to share this with,
If it means I should be the one making the trip to her place its still ok.
Thanks for the compliments acknowledging the work of the Father through me...because it is His doing.
You asked..."At times I wonder how do you lower yourself to my level... A 29year old when there's such age gap between us. "
I don't feel I am lowering myself, I believe I am lifting you up so that you can grow in wisdom and knowledge. I believe it is a Christian's responsibility to share wisdom, knowledge, and experiences (lessons learned). God doesn't equip us and bring us through life trials to keep the lessons to ourselves (I have this same view for my work life, too).
You are an eager learner...challenging me with good questions, digging into the teachings and meanings of God's Word. I enjoy the challenge to dig through Scripture and really think about the application.
I believe God us together through this site to grow together in His wisdom and knowledge...the best way for me to grow is through teaching someone else...this was true while in school, I used to teach my classmates new topics and sometimes the teachers, too. I even helped my father with college algebra when I was in 8th grade! God equipped me to be a teacher...so I must teach!
Your thirst for knowledge also motivates me. So many people just want the surface knowledge...they're happy with a quick answer and a verse or 2...you, on the other hand, keep digging looking at the topic from multiple angles. It's clear you really want to learn...a teacher's 'dream' student.
As for communion in the nursery, my church has communion on the first Sunday night of the month. We have an infant (0-12 months) and a toddler (1-3 year) nursery on Sunday nights. The ushers bring the bread & juice to the nurseries for the workers.
I thought of another option for you to partake of communion. You. Ight ask your pastor if he could host a separate communion service for people like you that can't make the regularly scheduled service. Maybe there are others that would like to partake but couldn't for one reason or another.
Will try that out & keep you posted as to how did it go... Would really be great if others were to join us, those who miss services like me. I'll be attending a Tuesday service that starts at 10am since i'm on leave this week. Will see if we can work something out with the pastor, I doubt he serves those during the week unless one asks'
Thank you so much dear!
Reason I asked if the communion is served to Sunday school classes, is the following passage that is always in my spirit. But those ones (0-12months and 1-3years) are just too little to understand anything.
Here's onother passage that trigures the desire in me of eating the holly communion... That i'll advise other young people in Christ to start partaking in it as young as possible
Genesis 30:25
"And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go, for you know my service which I have done for you" 27 And Laban said to him, "Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake."
These two peolpe Teach represent two opposite kingdoms
(the Holly Spirit gave me this passage as an example of how far important is it for God's child to have the seal of His mark for defense and belonging since the enemy fights continuously for our souls) therefore Laban in this scenario represents the kingdom of darkness hense he doesn't wanna let go of the soul (Jacob) while Jacob is of God striving to be set free.
Let's look at how the mark of the seal defends... as Jacob is being betrayed of he's earned livestock.
"28 Then he said (Laban) "Name me your wage, and I will give it" 29 So Jacob said to him, "You know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me." 32 Let me (Jacob) pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones amang the lamb, and the spotted and specked among the goats, and those shall be my wages. 33 So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: everyone that is not specked and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, will be considered stolen if it is with me"
Chapter 31
"22 Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. 23 Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days.... 24 But the Lord had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him "Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad"
Jacob was not harmed for the livestock he has taken with
Simply cause he had it marked.
Oh how terrible will it be in the hour of trouble if i'll be found not having the mark of the seal (Jesus' blood to intervine on my behalve as the Lord tells the devil NOT TO DERE TOUCH ME.
I personally think churches should serve this even in Sunday school classes as young as those innocent little beings are, for their own protection.
Thank you dear once more for time taken in reading this!
So communion does not save anyone and it is for believers only as indicated in the verses I posted earlier.
My church serves communion in a night service, we still have a Sunday & Wednesday night service, uncommon in many churches today. Why at night? Because the large majority of attendees are church members who have made a profession of faith, although anyone one is allowed to participate (some churches serve 'closed communion' only church members may partake). I forgot that my church also has a program for 3-5 year olds, on Sunday nights they leave after the singing and before the preaching begins. So almost everyone in the service is 5 years old or up and all are allowed to partake. Generally, the parents will decide if their children can partake or not...and generally, the kids do.
Since communion is done in remembrance of Christ's death, we believe the participant should understand what the bread and juice represent.
Why not Sunday mornings? The focus of the messages on Sunday am are to get people to understand the need for salvation and how to grow as a Christian. My church brings in many non-believers on Sunday mornings. It could make them uncomfortable not understanding the purpose.
I'm by no means condemning other churches that offer communion every week or in the morning or if it's open to all or just members.
BTW, your presentation of the situation with Jacob & Laban is very interesting. I encourage everyone to read the Bible cover to cover and then over and over again. The same passage read before...or dozens of time can reach out to you because of the issues, events, circumstances you're passing through at that time. Sometimes it's wow, where did that verse come from? It really spoke to me!
"So communion does not save anyone and it is for believers only..."
Much appreciate dear for correction,
Suppose I looked at the question of blood with a broader mindset, that I eventually confused the holly communion (which is eaten in remembrance of Christ) with benefits of having Jesus' blood as a seal of protection
And many other benefits.
Thank you dear for correcting me,
Maybe some other time will have discussion about power of Jesus' blood. Which is onother subject that I confused with this.
