SERVING THE LORD’S SUPPER
“...The Lord
Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks,
he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in
remembrance of me.’ In the same way,
after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my
blood; do this, whenever you drink, in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink
this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
Steps
in Serving Communion
1. Open by sharing about God’s love,
forgiveness, grace, mercy, commitment, tenderheartedness, faithfulness,
etc., out of your personal journey
(connect with the story of your people in the room).
2. Read the passage:
“...The
Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given
thanks, he broke it and
said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in
remembrance of me.’”
3. Pray
and pass the bread around the circle (could be time for quiet reflection,
singing a simple praise song, or listening to a worship tape).
4. When everyone has been served, remind them
that this represents Jesus’ broken body on their behalf.
Simply state, “Jesus said, ‘Do this in
remembrance of me.’ Let us eat together,”
and eat the bread as a group.
5. Then read the rest of the passage:
“...In
the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new
covenant in my blood; do this,
whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’”
6. Pray and serve the cup, either by
passing a small tray, serving them individually, or by having them pick up
a cup from the table.
7. When everyone has been served, remind
them that the juice represents Christ’s blood shed for them, then
simply state, “Take and drink in
remembrance of Him. Let us drink
together.”
8. Finish by singing a simple song,
listening to a praise song, or having a time of prayer in thanks to God.
Several
Practical Tips in Serving Communion
1. Prepare the elements simply, sacredly,
and yet remember, symbolically.
2. Be sensitive to timing in your meeting.
3. Break up pieces of cracker or soft bread on a small plate or
tray. Don’t use large servings of
bread or grape juice. We ask that you
only use grape juice, not wine, so you will not cause a brother to struggle.
4. Have all of the elements prepared
beforehand, and just bring into the room or to the table when you are ready.
Communion
passages: Matthew 26:26-29; Mark
14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20; I Corinthians 10:16-21,