This Holy Mystery

1
This Holy Mystery

• A United Methodist Understanding of Holy Communion

2
Names of the Sacrament

• The Lords supper reminds us that Jesus Christ
  is the host and that we participate at his
  invitation
• Holy Communion - invites us to focus on the
  self-giving of the Holy God, which makes the
  sacrament an occasion of grace and on the
  holiness of our communion with God and one
  another.

3

• Eucharist the Greek word for thanksgiving,
  reminds us that the sacrament is thanksgiving to
  God for the gifts of creation and salvation.
• Mass derived from the Latin word missio meaning
  sending forth and indicates that this
  celebration brings the worship service to a close
  by sending forth the congregation with Gods
  blessing to live as Gods people in the world.

4

• Divine Liturgy Used most by Orthodox
  Christianity.
• All the names are for the same practice.

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United Methodist Heritage

• The Methodist Movement in the eighteenth century
  was an evangelical movement that included a
  revival of emphasis on the sacraments.
• The Wesleys recognized the power of God available
  in the Lords Supper and urged their followers to
  draw on that power by frequent participation.

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The grace available in and through the sacrament
was active

• In conviction
• In repentance and conversion
• In forgiveness
• In sanctification
• John Wesley described the Lords Supper as The
  grand channel whereby the grace of his Spirit was
  conveyed to the souls of all the children of God

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The Multifaceted Nature of the Lords Supper

• It expressed Gods love, grace, sacrifice and
  forgiveness.
• It was the presence of Christ, a Mystery
• It was a source of healing, nourishment,
  holiness
• It was a pledge of heaven.
• The Wesleys wrote 166 hymns for meditation and
  singing about Holy Communion.

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Evangelical and United Brethren Roots

• Albright, Otterbein and Boehn left little written
  material, so there are few references to their
  theology and practice of Holy Communion.
• The Journal of Christian Newcomer shows that the
  sacrament had a significant place in the life of
  the church.

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• Early Methodists received communion in Anglican
  Churches.
• When that source was lost after the Revolutionary
  war.
• The need for ordained clergy to provide the
  sacrament was a major reason Wesley provided
  ordained elders for America.

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• Because of a shortage of elders, communion was
  often served only on a quarterly basis.
• Even after more elders became available the habit
  of quarterly communion was difficult to change.

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• Holy Communion was considered a sacred and solemn
  event.
• The tone of the ritual was deeply penitential,
  calling on people to repent and having less
  emphasis on celebration of Gods grace.

12

• During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the
  rich Wesleyan understandings of Eucharist were
  largely lost, and the sacrament became understood
  only as a memorial of the death of Christ.
• In many churches attendance on communion Sundays
  became low.
• A revitalization of the sacrament started in the
  mid-twentieth century.

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Communion within the context of United Methodist
Theology

• We are sinners.
• We are constantly in need of divine grace.
• God is gracious and loving, always making
  available the grace we need.
• Grace is Gods love towards us, Gods free and
  undeserved gift.
• All grace is prevenient.

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• The grace of God is made available through the
  life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and
  works in our lives through the presence and
  power of the Holy Spirit.
• God has designated certain means or channels
  through which grace is most surely and
  immediately available.
• These channels convey to us preventing,
  justifying and sanctifying grace.

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The Theology of Sacraments

• The Greek word used by the early church for the
  sacrament is mysterion, translated mystery.
• In Latin the word used is sacramentum, meaning a
  vow or promise.
• The sacraments were instituted by Christ and give
  to the church.
• Jesus Christ himself is the ultimate
  manifestation of a sacrament.

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• Holy Communion is the sacrament that sustains and
  nourishes us in our journey of salvation.
• God uses tangible, material things as vehicles or
  instruments of grace.
• An outward sign of inward grace, and a means
  whereby we receive the same.

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The Meaning of Holy Communion

• Holy Communion is Eucharist, an act of
  thanksgiving
• Holy Communion is the communion of the church
  the gathering community of the faithful, both
  local and universal.
• Holy Communion is remembrance, commemoration, and
  memorial, but this remembrance is much more than
  simply intellectual retelling.

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• Holy Communion is a type of sacrifice. It is a
  re-presentation, not a repetition of the
  sacrifice of Christ.
• Holy Communion is eschatological, meaning that it
  has to do with the end of history, the outcome of
  Gods purpose for the world
• Holy Communion is a vehicle of Gods grace
  through the action of the Holy Spirit

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Who can receive communion?
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Is Communion Jesus body?
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Can children receive communion?
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Can non-UM members receive?
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How often should we have it?
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Who can serve communion?
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Who consecrates communion?
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How is the table extended?
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What is the role of the Deacon?
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Wine or grape juice?
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What do you do with left-overs?
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How does communion express unity?