Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
- Matthew 26:26-28 -
Below is an excerpt from our upcoming booklet on the sacraments, coming next week!
What does sacrament mean? A sacrament is a ritual, symbol, and/or celebration with deep spiritual meaning. Liturgical churches—Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran and others—usually emphasize sacraments more than evangelical churches do (Baptist, Pentecostal, Church of Christ, Methodist, and non-denominational). Not all of us will agree on exactly how sacraments like baptism and communion function or how we should understand them. But it is important to know what others believe so we can have healthy conversations about the role of communion in the church.
This is a topic that we need to approach with an overflow of grace. The sacraments can be an incredibly divisive topic. Differing beliefs about these holy church practices can draw out of us strong emotions--including deep fear. Our denomination of origin and its teachings contribute to our feelings on this matter. As you read through this booklet, be aware of your emotional responses and pay attention to how other Christian traditions practice the Lord’s Supper. Challenge yourself to withhold judgment as you read about other believers and how they observe communion, as well as the biblical reasons they have for practicing it the way they do. In short, extend grace to them as you would want extended to you!
Communion and Baptism were fundamental practices from the beginning: a sacred remembrance and, in some church contexts, participation in grace and power received through this “outward and visible sign of invisible grace” (St. Augustine).
As church history unfolded, different perspectives developed regarding what happens when Christians partake of these sacraments.
From the early church period (100-500 A.D.) the church practiced communion as part of their regular Sunday worship gatherings, as stated in the passages above. First Corinthians 11 observes that the Lord’s Supper was a central point of worship in the early church and was observed regularly; this is confirmed by Justin Martyr’s Apology (written 100-165 AD). During the sacrament, a prayer of thanksgiving called eucharistia was given, taken from the Greek word for the thanks Jesus gave at the Last Supper. Eventually the meal came to be called the Eucharist, and later on the entire service became “Mass”: from the Latin “missa”, “to dismiss”. The general early church consensus, based on texts from early church fathers, indicate that communion was more than symbolic but less than the physical body of Christ.
When Rome fell in 470 A.D., the western church stepped into the governmental void and took an integral role in the rebuilding of Rome. What began as an opportunity to spread the gospel to the Visigoth tribes from the north quickly turned into a difficult tension of politics and faith. The Roman church grew steadily in power, eventually coming to conflict with the eastern church based in Constantinople. In 1054 A.D. the eastern and western churches split, partially due to the political overstep of Rome but also due to theological disagreement. Five hundred years later, the church experienced another massive upheaval when Martin Luther sparked the Reformation. This attempt to reform the abuses of a wayward Roman Catholic Church ended instead in a split from the Church. Those who left the RCC were dubbed “protestants”.
In the wake of the Reformation, the Protestant Reformers had disagreements among themselves about theology. One such disagreement was over the nature of the Eucharist. These debates raged between Reformers Melanchthon, Luther, Zwingli and others. Luther held to a view similar to the Roman Catholic heritage from which he’d come. Called “consubstantiation”, Luther believed the body and blood of Christ coexist with the bread and wine of the Eucharist. This differed slightly from the Catholic view of transubstantiation (the elements are transformed into the body and blood of Christ).
Transubstantiation was confirmed by the Catholic Church as doctrine in 1225 at the Fourth Lateran Council. Later, the Council of Trent determined that worship may be directed to the elements as due to the true God. When the Mass is celebrated, it is as if Christ’s sacrifice is repeated. Luther’s viewpoint was similar enough to the Catholic view to cause tension with other Reformers. Ulrich Zwingli believed in the memorial view of communion, known today as the “symbolic” view. The vitriol over communion between Zwingli and Luther led to a break between the Reformed and Lutheran traditions. Later on, John Calvin, a “second wave” Reformer in Geneva, Switzerland, developed his own, different view of communion called the “true/spiritual presence” view…
Read the rest when the booklet comes out next week! Also be sure to check out Gospel Ready, our new guide for parents on preparing your children for baptism. It is written in two parts: a first half for parents to understand how to teach their kids, and a second section of seven weekly devotions to do with your kids as you prepare!
Pictures: All these books are coming to the Every Woman a Theologian shop next week during our summer launch! Stay tuned to email for that drop.
The Summer Shop Launch - NEXT WEEK!
After almost seven months without a physical product launch, we are BACK with an amazing lineup of new books, restocks on your favorites, and some incredible ethically-made products: earrings, picnic blanket, dad hat, farm market basket, stickers, nontoxic candles and more!
We know you've been waiting a long time for this launch and we can't wait to provide it for you. Stay tuned because with launches, as soon as a product sells out it is OUT. We restock books, but do not always restock other items!
Stay tuned for next Thursday!
Verity Conference Simulcast
We are loving your response to the Verity simulcast! We can't wait to watch with you and learn from the speakers alongside you. New this year will be discussion questions for each session that we will distribute to hosts of Verity Local (small groups) who are joining in!
