While all true churches administer the sacrament of communion, there is also much diversity when it comes to the elements. We want you to know what to expect in our church and why.
Unleavened Bread? We readily grant the fact that the Lord’s Supper was instituted in conjunction with the Passover (or the Feast of Unleavened Bread), but scripture clearly says that Jesus offered the communion cup “after supper” (Luke 22:20).
Besides this implied distinction, the Apostle Paul wrote that Christ – not communion – is our Passover (1 Cor. 5:7). Therefore, we are not convinced that the Lord’s Supper was intended to become a new Passover Feast. We do not purge our homes (or our church) of leaven before communion.
Nevertheless, we do typically use flat bread, so those who disagree on this point will probably not be overly distracted.
Grape Juice? Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper in the Springtime (again, during the season of Passover) which means that he did not have fresh grape juice available to him. Jesus undoubtedly used fermented juice.
It is also clear that the saints at Corinth used fermented juice while celebrating communion. How else could they have become drunk (cf., 1 Cor. 11:21)? Main point: We do use real wine in communion.
Nevertheless, we realize that some saints have a legitimate case of conscience when it comes to consuming alcohol. We do acknowledge our responsibility to be sensitive to weak consciences (c.f., 1 Cor. 8) and have made juice available in the past. We have no members with such scruples at the present, so only wine is used.
Intinction? When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, he clearly used two elements: Bread and Wine. He also offered these elements to his disciples in two distinct acts. Therefore, we do not follow the modern innovation called “intinction” (i.e., dipping the bread into the wine). We serve communion as our Saviour first did.
If you have other questions about how we administer communion in our church, send me an email and I will get back to you shortly.
– Pastor McShaffrey