Protestant Communion

[jmcrae]

You have an unconfessed sin if you have not fallen on your knees and asked God for forgiveness for the sin.

I was Protestant for 39 years, but I never once heard of this. I just “confessed” my sins in my heart to Jesus and assumed that I was forgiven.

I consider it a good idea to always kneel before the altar and pray for worthiness and forgiveness before recieving Holy Communion.
I don’t believe the Baptists would disagree with that.
WP

And where are you going to find an “altar” in a Protestant church? Or do you mean the Communion table?

 

[sandmountainsli]

And where are you going to find an “altar” in a Protestant church? Or do you mean the Communion table?

No I mean an Altar.
You may call it a “prayer bench”, we call it an Altar.
It is beside the communion table, it is where one kneels to pray and where you pray with others who request for you to.
WP

 

[mark_a]

My minister stresses that if we have any unconfessed sin not to take communion.

This part sounds pretty Catholic to me.

But do you do confession? To a priest or minister? Seems like if its straight to God you could squeeze it at any instant before actually partaking.

 

[VociMike]

I grew up protestant and but I never really realized how little significance the Eucharist could be to them until now. My sister went to a Baptist church last week and she said that the communion was pre-packaged. The bread and juice were packaged together in individual servings and she had to just take the plastic off of the top of it to get the wafer and then there was another layer of plastic under it to get the juice. She didn’t even have to get out of her seat. The ushers delivered it to everyone. She was suprised and hesitated. The usher asked if she was saved. She said yes and took one and that was the end of it. I was shocked. What is the significance when the Sacrament is reduced to a pre-packaged snack?

It came to me a few years ago that if the Protestant Lord’s Supper is really a memorial meal of regular food to remember Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for us, it sure is a sad excuse for a memorial meal. I mean, would any of us serve wafers and juice for anyone we were seeking to memorialize? Would any of us, attending a memorial, think it fitting that the meal was nothing more than a wafer and a sip of juice? Or would we be shocked at such a “memorial meal”? Has there ever been another memorial meal in all of history that consisted solely of a wafer and a sip of juice? How can they consider these ingredients to be a suitable memorial meal for Christ Himself?

Now before anybody says “but the Catholic Eucharist is exactly the same”, nothing could be further from the truth. For the food we serve at the Catholic memorial meal is the most perfect food in the universe. It is Christ Himself. It is the only food truly worthy of a meal memorializing Christ’s death and resurrection.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

This part sounds pretty Catholic to me.

But do you do confession? To a priest or minister? Seems like if its straight to God you could squeeze it at any instant before actually partaking.

Hi,
No unless you want to go to your minister but he will absolve you because we do not believe men have powers to do that anymore. Yes you can squeeze it in but you could always be fooling yourself. God knows our hearts and we are sincere. Even a priest has no clue if you are sincere --only God.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

Don’t you just go straight to Jesus? So someone who had something on his conscience could just mentally make a prayer and “confess” it right there, couldn’t he?

Yep-- How GREAT IS OUR GOD that He would allow us such MERCY:thumbsup:

 

[ALLFORHIM]

This part sounds pretty Catholic to me.

Well, we do follow the same bible after all. That part is in the bible.

 

[LilyM]

Yep-- How GREAT IS OUR GOD that He would allow us such MERCY:thumbsup:

How great is our God that he gave His apostles and their successors the bishops the power and duty not only to forgive sins in His name, but to discern and retain the sins of those who do not confess with true repentance. After all, His mercy is not to be taken lightly or for granted :yup:

 

[JoeyWarren]

That sounds anecdotal. But, in a strict sense, why should it bother Catholics if it were true? You don’t believe that the elements used in a Baptist Communion have been transformed into the body and blood of Christ anyway.

No I don’t believe they have been transformed, that is true. What does concern me is the double sacrilege they perform. They do a communion without truely believing and they reinforced that unbelief by feeding the leftovers to dogs or whatever animal may walk by the back door.

 

[Mickey]

What does concern me is the double sacrilege they perform. They do a communion without truely believing and they reinforced that unbelief by feeding the leftovers to dogs or whatever animal may walk by the back door.

1 Cor 11:27-30
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.
Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.
That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.

 

[Maxply]

I’ve seen that plastic, prepackaged deal before. It was explained to me that this was developed for use by missionaries, congregations, etc., in humid, tropic climates.

 

[JoeyWarren]

I’ve seen that plastic, prepackaged deal before. It was explained to me that this was developed for use by missionaries, congregations, etc., in humid, tropic climates.

Humid tropical climates would warrant that I guess, but a “Packaged Jesus” sort of rubs some the wrong way…

 

[jmcrae]

No I mean an Altar.

An altar is a table of sacrifice. In the Old Testament church, they sacrificed various animals, fruits, and grains on their altars.

In the New Testament church - the Catholic Church - we receive the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our altars - His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, whole and alive.

In both cases, the priests and the congregation would physically consume the sacrifice from the altar.

You may call it a “prayer bench”, we call it an Altar.
It is beside the communion table, it is where one kneels to pray and where you pray with others who request for you to.
WP

Yes, I would definitely call that a prayer bench, and not an altar - since it’s a place where people kneel to pray, and not a place where sacrifices are offered and then consumed.

 

[JMJDevotee]

Hi,
We use matza’s and grape juice. I think that is fine because matza is unleavened bread and grape juice is still fruit of the vine just not fermented. We have communion once a month and take it very seriously. It is a time of fellow believers coming together as the body of believers to remember what God has done for us. My minister stresses that if we have any unconfessed sin not to take communion. We view communion as a memorial service. As for having it once a month, it really doesnt matter how often you do it. Even the CC only requires it once a year at Easter time. So, I think judging protestants for having communion once a month is wrong. There are no restrictions on how often to take communion,whether it is daily,weekly,monthly or yearly, it is all ok as long as you are a believer in Christ.

Ok, I am fairly new to the RCC and I was told by my priest and my sponsor that we are to attend Mass as often as possible and receive Christ in the Blessed Sacrament each time. I know the RCC only requires confession once a year, although going more frequently is better. Someone please give me a CC reference for this once a year Eucharist thing.

Pax Vobiscum

 

[jmcrae]

Ok, I am fairly new to the RCC and I was told by my priest and my sponsor that we are to attend Mass as often as possible and receive Christ in the Blessed Sacrament each time. I know the RCC only requires confession once a year, although going more frequently is better. Someone please give me a CC reference for this once a year Eucharist thing.

Pax Vobiscum

Catechism #2042 has the first to the third precepts of the Church. I highly recommend reading the whole section.

The third precept (“You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during the Easter Season.”) guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord’s Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy.

We are not required to receive Holy Communion every time we go to Mass, and indeed, there are times when it would be a sacrilege to do so, if we are improperly disposed (not having completed the Eucharistic fast ahead of time, or not being fully present to the Mass in our hearts) or if we were unable to go to Confession when we needed to, and are in a state of mortal sin.

We are required to attend Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, even if we are not properly disposed to receive Holy Communion that particular day.

 

[JMJDevotee]

Catechism #2042 has the first to the third precepts of the Church. I highly recommend reading the whole section.

The third precept (“You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during the Easter Season.”) guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord’s Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy.

We are not required to receive Holy Communion every time we go to Mass, and indeed, there are times when it would be a sacrilege to do so, if we are improperly disposed (not having completed the Eucharistic fast ahead of time, or not being fully present to the Mass in our hearts) or if we were unable to go to Confession when we needed to, and are in a state of mortal sin.

We are required to attend Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, even if we are not properly disposed to receive Holy Communion that particular day.

But if we are in a state of grace we are to recieve Holy Communion right?

I am slowly working through the CC with my kids since we converted and since we only study it one day a week, we are moving pretty slow.

Pax Vobiscum

 

[jmcrae]

But if we are in a state of grace we are to recieve Holy Communion right?

It’s not a requirement, other than at Easter time - but under normal circumstances, I’m not sure why you wouldn’t, since it is a means of receiving grace.

I am slowly working through the CC with my kids since we converted and since we only study it one day a week, we are moving pretty slow.

I can imagine - I find it pretty heavy going, at times, too. Have you thought of getting the new one that came out, that has it in question and answer format? I don’t have that one yet, but I’m thinking of getting it for myself.

 

[JMJDevotee]

It’s not a requirement, other than at Easter time - but under normal circumstances, I’m not sure why you wouldn’t, since it is a means of receiving grace.

I can imagine - I find it pretty heavy going, at times, too. Have you thought of getting the new one that came out, that has it in question and answer format? I don’t have that one yet, but I’m thinking of getting it for myself.

I have the Baltimore Catechism and the St. Joseph book that accompanies it. My SIL who taught CCD for years recommended it. It is pretty easy to follow. We move slow so we can grasp all the wisdom we can…and with teenagers, there are endless questions.

Pax Vobiscum

 

[RonRule]

I grew up plymouth brethren, and we had weekly communion, which we called Breaking of Bread. One tray of bread, both leavened and unleavened (matza) and you were free to choose. This was passed around. Then the trays of grape juice.

Worst thing though:

One time, at Bible Camp. . .

Seriously, at a campfire at Bible Camp, after singing songs and sharing testimonies, the Director decided we would have communion.

So we passed around a hamburger bun and a can of Ruby Red Squirt. I kid you not.

While my dad was on a missionary trip to India, he and his friend had communion with pieces of a Starburst!?!

I know this is totally ridiculous to catholic ears, but they aren’t doing it to be sacreligious. In their eyes, they’re just being creative in extraordinary circumstances.

 

[sea_oat]

Correct me if I am wrong. I think that the communion in non-catholic church seems to be so insignificant because they do not believe the real presence of our Jesus. They only do it just to remember the Passover.

Thanks!

In the case of Southern Baptist churches, yes.

I didn’t particularly enjoy going to church when I was a child growing up in the Baptist church, but I looked forward to the days when we would partake of communion.

The deacons would come around to the pews (yes, we were all still seated) and pass around little pieces of square bread about in the shape and size of Chiclets, then they would come around and give us small, plastic shot glasses with grape juice.

I was under the impression that a person should not partake of communion unless he/she was baptized, but I don’t really know why, since baptism is merely symbolic to Baptists, as well.

I cannot say how it’s done in other non-Catholic denominations. My mom used to take me to a Korean Presbyterian church sometimes when I was a kid, as well, but I don’t remember how communion was treated.