In the New Testament, we find four accounts of Jesus Christ instituting the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26, Mark 12, Luke 24, 1 Corinthians 11). These accounts form a fantastic witness to the tremendous importance of this sacrament. Church history joins the chorus, underscoring communion as a great hallmark of the gathered church. There is an important question every true church must answer: “how often should we take the Lord’s Supper?” Though we think there’s freedom of conscience on this issue, Trinity Church Kennesaw has chosen to observe the Lord’s Supper weekly. Here are a few reasons why.
The regularity of the Lord’s Supper is emphasized in the New Testament.
1 Corinthians 11: 17–20, 33–34
17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. . . . 33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— 34 if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come
In 1 Corinthians 11, the phrase “when you come together” is used five times. The Apostle’s assumption seems to be that his readers were taking the Lord’s Supper weekly. Moreover, in the Gospels, the Lord’s phrase “as often as” implies significant regularity.
The Lord’s Supper is an opportunity to experience greater fellowship with Christ.
Though every element of worship involves the congregation, perhaps communion is the most participatory. By doing communion weekly, church members are challenged to consider the gravity of their faith more deeply. In the Lord’s kindness, he instituted the Lord’s Supper in order for his people to experience greater fellowship with him. At the Lord’s Table, we celebrate the sacrifice of Christ for sinners, and we commune with our Lord. At the Lord’s Table, we pledge ourselves afresh to following him in newness of life, and we anticipate the fulness of the coming kingdom.
The early church partook of the Lord’s Supper weekly.
One of the earliest documents of the early church, The Didache, refers to weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper. It says, “Every Lord’s day, gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions.” In describing primitive church services, Justin Martyr (c100–c165) wrote:
When our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying, ‘Amen!’ Then the Eucharist is distributed to each one, and each one participates in that over which thanks has been given. And a portion of it is sent by the deacons to those who are absent.
The Lord’s Supper is an element of worship.
If the Lord’s Supper is an element of worship just like prayer, preaching, and singing are, why would we do it in any other frequency than weekly? Besides baptism––which is inherently occasional––there is no other element of worship Christians don’t do weekly. To be logically consistent, it seems Christians should be just as content with a service without communion as they would be with a service without singing or preaching.
Objections to Weekly Observance
It’s inconvenient.
Yes, celebrating the Lord’s Supper does take extra work. It requires more volunteers to prepare the elements. It takes up a significant amount of time in our church gatherings. It’s definitely inconvenient. But so is preparing a sermon each week. So is singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Gathering on Sunday morning in the first place is inconvenient. Since when has inconvenience been a good reason for neglecting the means of grace?
If we take the Lord’s Supper every week, won’t that make too big a deal of communion?
To some, weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper seems to put too much emphasis on the ordinance. Weekly observance may tempt some to depend too much upon communion in their walk with Christ. After all, we’re not Roman Catholics, who think the sacrament on some level makes them right with God. Yes, we’re not Roman Catholic. We’re not Roman Catholic because of what we teach about the Lord’s Supper, not our frequency in taking it. To be Protestant is not to deny the importance of communion. In corporate worship, Christians are called to sing the Word, read the Word, preach the Word, pray the Word, and see the Word. We see the Word most clearly in the inspired drama of the Lord’s Supper.
Again, if rightly presented, weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper will be no more of a spiritual crutch for the Christian than weekly preaching.
If we take the Lord’s Supper every week, won’t that diminish the significance of communion?
Some people fear an opposite concern in weekly observance: that the Lord’s Supper will become rote and insignificant if we take it weekly. “Wouldn’t it make the ordinance more special if we only did it on special occasions?” Not necessarily. The notion that frequency diminishes significance is a misguided one. Spouses value physical intimacy. What wife wants her husband to hug her once per month or quarter? A daily embrace from a spouse is both frequent and significant in a marriage. By observing the Lord’s Supper weekly, we intend to elevate and normalize the Lord’s Supper in Christian experience.
To be certain, we always run the risk of presenting the Lord’s Supper in a lifeless, rote manner. However, we run that risk in every other element of worship. May God grant us ability to employ this means of grace in such a way that we together behold Christ with greater clarity.
