The elements your church/congregation/community uses for communion?

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My home church is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We do an ope communion. Like the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, there is no prohibition against using leavened or unleavened bread. The wine is red, but that is a matter of preference of the Altar Guild. Sadly, there are no wine aficionados on the Guild. I bake the bread fresh in the morning before the early service and the same loaf is used for both services and may also be taken to those who wish to commune, but are unable to attend church. If possible, it is done as soon as possible after Eucharist in the late service. Any wine left over may be , consumed by the members, poured out on the ground, or returned to a flask for use at a later time. Grape juice is offered for children or those who do not wish to have wine, and is offered in either individual cups, or common cup. Those using common cup may either drink or intinct. After the service, the bread is offered to members of the congregation. An advisory in 1992 on the handling of the elements said that it should be consumed as much as possible by members of the congregation. The only time I have seen COTT was when a person was unable to use his hands.
 
Oldtimer_7 said:
My home church is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We do an ope communion. Like the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, there is no prohibition against using leavened or unleavened bread. The wine is red, but that is a matter of preference of the Altar Guild. Sadly, there are no wine aficionados on the Guild. I bake the bread fresh in the morning before the early service and the same loaf is used for both services and may also be taken to those who wish to commune, but are unable to attend church. If possible, it is done as soon as possible after Eucharist in the late service. Any wine left over may be , consumed by the members, poured out on the ground, or returned to a flask for use at a later time. Grape juice is offered for children or those who do not wish to have wine, and is offered in either individual cups, or common cup. Those using common cup may either drink or intinct. After the service, the bread is offered to members of the congregation. An advisory in 1992 on the handling of the elements said that it should be consumed as much as possible by members of the congregation. The only time I have seen COTT was when a person was unable to use his hands.
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I have seen an ambry or tabernacle with reserved holy Elements of wine but only if a parish has week day Eucharist. Wine can become sort of bitter like vinegar after a while.

What do you mean by “COTT”?
 
EvangelCatholic, I supposed that the acronym COTT was common on this site. It stands for Communion on The Tongue, where the celebrant places the host in the open mouth of the recipient. This is opposed to Communion in The Hand, where the host is placed in the recipient’s hand. I apologize for using jargon without explanation.:o

I should also mention that in the Lutheran understanding of Real Presence, Christ is wholly present in both elements, so a person receiving one element has still fully communed.
 
Oldtimer_7 said:
EvangelCatholic, I supposed that the acronym COTT was common on this site. It stands for Communion on The Tongue, where the celebrant places the host in the open mouth of the recipient. This is opposed to Communion in The Hand, where the host is placed in the recipient’s hand. I apologize for using jargon without explanation.:o

I should also mention that in the Lutheran understanding of Real Presence, Christ is wholly present in both elements, so a person receiving one element has still fully communed.
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What do you do with leftover wine or bread?
 
Miriam1947 said:
What do you do with leftover wine or bread?
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Oldtimer points out that the consecrated elements [bread and wine] are consumed during the Eucharist at the altar. Normally the pastor will drink what is left in the chalice and cleanse the cup or move the vessels to a side table for the assistants to purify after Mass. The host is also consumed or reserved for those who are homebound; eucharistic ministers take holy Communion to those unable to attend the service.

Lutherans believe the Body and Blood of Christ remain until all are consumed. The practice of using a tabernacle or ambry is fairly common but Lutherans tend to avoid such things as Benediction of the Sacrament except perhaps on Holy Thursday.
 
Miriam1947, the bread is a very simple recipe, flour, water, yeast, salt, oil, and honey. I bake it so that it is moist, which largely takes care of the problem of crumbs I have done this long enough so that what is left over is usually consumed in under 15 minutes after the end of the service. As previously mentioned, the bread and the wine may also b e taken to the homebound of those in hospital. The wine is never poured down the sink, but either drunk or poured out on the ground to return it to the earth. Sometimes, the more frugal members of the Altar Guild may return the wine to a container and store it in the refrigerator in the sacristy, though, as EvangelCatholic points out, it may turn bitter or turn into vinegar. A friend who is a winemaker has made some excellent vinegar from indifferent wine. We hope not to give him any competition. Maybe I could get him to talk to the Altar Guild, though he has not been able to do anything with the altar guild in his own church.
 
Miriam1947 said:
What do you do with leftover bread and grape juice?
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At my church, the elements are not reserved beyond the service, although we are supposed to be able to provide invalids, shut-ins and the like with Communion. When I’m in charge of the elements post-service, they are disposed of in a manner compliant with the UMC position paper on this. In general, the bread is scattered upon the ground and the juice is poured out upon the ground, both in reverent fashion.

I realize this may be disturbing to some, but the UMC has never, so far as I know, placed the sort of significance upon post-service elements that some other Christians do. Att the same time, an official commentary to the UMC position paper says that disposal of the consecrated elements after all have been served is a “significant theological action” because the elements are “no longer bread and juice only”, having been set apart for holy use.

As always, I am not ordained clergy in the UMC, so bear that in mind when reading my remarks.
 
Some further questions for clarification and my own knowledge;

For those whose church teaches a literal meaning to “this is My Body” for the bread and “this is My Blood” for the wine, do you always received both elements at your service; both bread and wine? If NOT (such as in many RC parishes), then does that not mean that Jesus’ words are not actually taken literally? He does not say about the bread that it is His “body, blood, soul and divinity” but rather His body. The same for the wine. How did it come about that this was changed from serving both bread and wine to the congregation, to only serving the bread?
 
Kliska said:
Some further questions for clarification and my own knowledge;

For those whose church teaches a literal meaning to “this is My Body” for the bread and “this is My Blood” for the wine, do you always received both elements at your service; both bread and wine? If NOT (such as in many RC parishes), then does that not mean that Jesus’ words are not actually taken literally? He does not say about the bread that it is His “body, blood, soul and divinity” but rather His body. The same for the wine. How did it come about that this was changed from serving both bread and wine to the congregation, to only serving the bread?
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From a Lutheran perspective, we believe that Christ’s call was to eat and drink. Therefore, we always receive both His body and blood. It was one of the sticking points at the time of the Augsburg Confession, the withholding of the chalice from the laity, but Catholic practice has changed since Vatican II, and now often the laity receive under both kinds.

I will let Catholics explain their view, but it is my understanding that they believe in concomitance, which teaches (in short) that reception of one is reception of both. Further, my understanding is the practice came about out of fear of the spilling of the chalice, though I could be wrong on both points. 😊

Jon
 
JonNC said:
From a Lutheran perspective, we believe that Christ’s call was to eat and drink. Therefore, we always receive both His body and blood. It was one of the sticking points at the time of the Augsburg Confession, the withholding of the chalice from the laity, but Catholic practice has changed since Vatican II, and now often the laity receive under both kinds.

I will let Catholics explain their view, but it is my understanding that they believe in concomitance, which teaches (in short) that reception of one is reception of both. Further, my understanding is the practice came about out of fear of the spilling of the chalice, though I could be wrong on both points. 😊

Jon
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Yes, the first bit would be my concern; take eat, take drink. Eating and drinking are two separate words and two separate actions. You don’t drink bread. I have also heard that only allowing the congregants the bread/body was to fight a belief that the bread wasn’t fully Jesus… but how would denying the “drinking” part of the command be a good thing?
 
Kliska said:
For all: Does your church/congregation/community use bread and wine, bread and grape juice, etc… for communion? If so, do they have guidelines as to what kind to use, how to prepare it? Also, what is the reasoning behind what is used?
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We partake of the Holy Eucharist after the Priest consecrates the elements of bread (the same wafer as the Catholic Church) and wine. We then go upfront and kneel at the railing and recieve both the Body and Blood of Christ.

An council I believe determined the Christ is present in both elements so that if one partakes of the Body (bread) then they partook of all.
 
Kliska said:
Yes, the first bit would be my concern; take eat, take drink. Eating and drinking are two separate words and two separate actions. You don’t drink bread. I have also heard that only allowing the congregants the bread/body was to fight a belief that the bread wasn’t fully Jesus… but how would denying the “drinking” part of the command be a good thing?
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Out of respect for our Catholic friends, I will let them present their beliefs. I will say this, however, if I were in a position where I could not drink the wine, for example, I would be quite happy to receive only the bread, leaving the issue to grace.

Jon
 
cath4alltime said:
We partake of the Holy Eucharist after the Priest consecrates the elements of bread (the same wafer as the Catholic Church) and wine. We then go upfront and kneel at the railing and recieve both the Body and Blood of Christ.
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So, as in the Lutheran Church, the Episcopalians receive both the bread/body and the wine/blood? If I may ask, in what manner do you receive the blood? Meaning, drinking from the same chalice, by intincture, etc…?
 
Kliska said:
So, as in the Lutheran Church, the Episcopalians receive both the bread/body and the wine/blood? If I may ask, in what manner do you receive the blood? Meaning, drinking from the same chalice, by intincture, etc…?
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We are Charismatic Episcopalian iccec.org/, not Episcopalian as in ECUSA. I receive by drinking from the chalice as most do, when someone has a cold they are permitted to do intinction though the laity do not do that themselves the deacon or Priest does.
 
Kliska said:
So, as in the Lutheran Church, the Episcopalians receive both the bread/body and the wine/blood? If I may ask, in what manner do you receive the blood? Meaning, drinking from the same chalice, by intincture, etc…?
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In the Church of England, reception in both kinds is mandatory as per the Sacrament Act of 1547 unless the Doctrine of Necessity applies. (Examples: an alcoholic could receive the bread/body only; a coeliac could receive wine/blood if a gluten free wafer was unavailable). We normally receive Holy Communion whilst kneeling at the Altar rails.

We receive from a common Chalice or Communion Cup. Individual thimble cups are illegal in the CofE. Intinction is a permissible but generally exceptional practice which should ideally be carried out by the Priest. (I believe however that intinction is standard practice for CofE Priests ministering in male prisons).
 
Kliska said:
Some further questions for clarification and my own knowledge;

For those whose church teaches a literal meaning to “this is My Body” for the bread and “this is My Blood” for the wine, do you always received both elements at your service; both bread and wine? If NOT (such as in many RC parishes), then does that not mean that Jesus’ words are not actually taken literally? He does not say about the bread that it is His “body, blood, soul and divinity” but rather His body. The same for the wine. How did it come about that this was changed from serving both bread and wine to the congregation, to only serving the bread?
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My understanding is that the Catholic teaching that both body and blood are present under either species comes from 1 Corinthians 11:27 where St. Paul says “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.” (emphasis mine). St. Paul indicates that unworthily receiving either species results in profaning both the body and the blood, thus, both body and blood must be present under either species.
 
At my church, they pass around plastic little cups that include both the grape juice and wafer. The grape juice is contained in the cup covered by a paper flap. On top of this is the wafer, also covered by a paper flap that you peel back when you’re ready to eat.
 
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