Author's Preface
1. Accepting Or Uniting
   
2. Who Is A Christian?
   
3. "Why Don't You Leave The Church of Christ?"
   
4. The Iniquity Of The Fathers
   
5. Our Judicial System
   
6. "You Are My People Now"
   
7. Serving "Otherwise Than As Prescribed"
   
8. Does Baptize Really Mean To Immerse
   
9. Our Relationship Through Baptism
   
10. Those Gospel Meetings
    
11. A Prelude To Worship
    
12. Worshipping In Spirit And Truth
    
13. The Forbidden Prayer
    
14. "I Didn't Hear Nobody Pray"
    
15. Communion Prayers
    
16. Communion With Bread, Wine, And Money
    
17. Thursday Is The Lord's Day Too!
    
18. Not Forsaking The Assembly
    
19. Acts 20:7 One More Time
    
20. Our Father Who Art Where?
    
21. Does Nature Reveal God's Love
    
22. Copyrighted: All Rights Reserved
    
23. Don't Pour Water On Them
    
24. The Remaining Restriction For Women
    
25. Some Questions About Revelation
    
26. Must One Fully Repent Before Baptism?
    
27. Nicodemus In Context
    
28. Our Respected Myths Of Religion
    
29. Hook's Points: A Potpourri
    

Be thankful if the prayers in your communion meetings are thoughtful and expressive of the meaning of the Lord's Supper. Many of us do not share that blessing in our home congregations. In my sixty years of participation in the supper, I have found it generally to be an unembellished ritual planned as much for speed and efficiency in serving as for communicating its significance and purpose.

Traditionally, men and boys are chosen to serve the assembly because they are next on the rotation list rather than for their ability to conduct a meaningful service. Comments and prayers tend to be filled with inherited cliches which may express the intent and connotation of the supper only vaguely, if at all. Too many of them leave the impression that we are trying to fulfil a requirement "wellpleasing in Thy sight."

For me to be overly critical of the sincere expressions of worship of others is not becoming. My purpose in this chapter is to be helpful. In lighting my little candle, as it were, let me propose a few suggestions which may give some guidance in making the communion more meaningful.

In my participation when the procedure seems rote, I am not limited by the bareness of the ceremony itself. I can guide my own thoughts far beyond what is expressed in comments and prayers by those serving the congregation. But I could do that alone at home. It is so much more purposeful when our thoughts are fed and stimulated mutually. A deeper meaning is then taken of communing or sharing with others.

Quite often we hear thoughts expressing a perceived requirement of weekly communion in our churches. Locally, however, I cannot recall a lesson from the pulpit or more than passing comment at the table regarding the supper. So I am urging that we teach and train those in our congregations who are to serve, and that we plan the communion on a quarterly or yearly basis.

Being fully aware that I cannot cover the whole subject in this brief treatise, I shall attempt only to state some of the intent and meaning of the supper.

"Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat: this is my body'" (Matt. 26:26). Jesus and the disciples were eating the passover, an annual memorial of Israel's night of deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Israel ate of the roasted lamb whose blood marked the homes spared from death, they shared the unrisen bread prepared in haste for their journey, and they drank the Passover wine.

This shared meal spoke of their unique community and of the covenant that God had made with them. Annual repetition of the exodus story in the impressive Passover ceremony kept the meanings alive through the centuries. Israel was God's nation.

Christ, our passover, was offered, and we share in him as his unique spiritual body. The supper is a covenant meal in which we remember his atonement while eating of the sacrificial Lamb symbolically. In this we remember our escape from death, and we give renewed commitment to his covenant.

Communion is not just a religious word applied to this memorial ritual. Communion is sharing, participation in, fellowship, contribution, cooperation, close relationship. The bread pictures his body that was crucified for us through which we were offered up to God. Our eating of it symbolizes our sharing in that body. We are one. There is one bread, one body (1 Cor. 10:1422). There can be no communion in disunity.

In their participation in the supper according to party loyalties, the Corinthian disciples were eating and drinking in an unworthy manner, guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. They were failing to discern the oneness of the body. "For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself" (1 Cor. 11:1734). While rejecting other disciples, one may partake of a ritual of communion while destroying the meaning of communion. The bread of unity cannot be shared with a judgmental heart.

"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'" (Matt. 26:27). Jesus took the wine of the passover that they were eating to depict the blood of atonement. The blood of the covenant sealed God's promise.

The life is in the blood. Jesus gave his life for us. Our drinking of the cup symbolizes our continuous sharing of his restored life. We continually commit ourselves to his covenant.

"This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." Our observance is not just a memorial of the historical Jesus but it is a repeated recognition of his giving his life for ours. Having died, been buried, and raised with him symbolically in baptism, we identify with him as one. We remember and openly acknowledge that he is our very life, for he took our sins which bring death.

"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." In perpetual evangelism through this ritual, we preach the good news that Christ died for our sins and that the risen savior will come to receive us.

From the Biblical record we learn that throughout history, when people reached an agreement on a matter, it was traditional for the agreeing parties to eat a meal together. It was a covenant meal involving the covenant of salt, eaten before the Lord as a witness. Jesus instituted his covenant meal during the covenant meal of the passover. The early church considered the love feast, a fellowshipcommunionsharing meal, to be an appropriate setting for the Lord's supper.

Jesus was the fulfillment of the wave offering lifted up to God. Cereal and wine were wave offerings of thanksgiving. The bread and cup which we lift up to God are representative of both the sin offering and that of thanksgiving.

The perpetual, or living, bread of his Presence in the holy place was eaten each week by the priests. To us as priests he is the living bread present in our shared eating.

Eating together declared a unity with those at whose table they ate, whether Israel, demons, or the Lord (1 Cor. 10:1422).

We eat the bread of unity and drink the wine of forgiveness.

Now I shall compose a few prayers which I think are fitting for the Lord's Supper. You may be able to offer prayers that are more expressive than these. But these are included for any persons who feel inadequate and would welcome my suggestions. I admit that I am inexperienced because preachers are seldom called upon to offer prayers in the Lord's Supper.

Our Father, you loved us enough to give your only Son for us. In happiness today we praise you because we share that love. Jesus died the death we deserved in order that we might live. We praise you for our joyous hope. He broke the hold of death that we might be raised with him. We are assured that he will come back to receive us into glory. Our hearts are awed by your goodness shown to us undeserving sinners. Each day is lived in thanksgiving. With one voice this assembly of your saved ones praises you with gratitude. We thank you for this bread which Jesus chose to call his body. We thank you that he chose to call all who share this bread his body also. We thank you for the constantly renewed life given us in his body. Thank you that we can be secure in him forever. Amen.

Our Father who is in heaven, we believe you are in heaven and we believe you are present in this very room also at this time. We thank you that your Spirit and the Spirit of Christ are within us at all times. As we are gathered to eat this symbolic meal before you, we recognize the Presence of your Son in the bread we eat. You have glorified us in permitting us to share this bread which he calls his body and to share in his body. Father, you have made us one in you and in him. We praise you for that. Thank you for offering his body for our sins that we might be brought back into your favor. Thank you for this bread which renews our appreciation at this moment for the life which Jesus has given to us. He has paid for our guilt that we might be free from it. Thank you for your limitless love. Amen.

Our Father, living in the fleshly body, we sin because of its power over us. While we were sinners, you sent you son in the flesh that he might overcome sin for us. He never sinned, but he accepted all of our ugliness and alienation as though they were his own. He bore our guilt in his body on the cross. He blotted out all the charges written against each of us, nailing them to the cross. Thus he saved us by breaking down the barrier between you and us, and between fellow members of your body. You made us one in him with yourself. We cannot praise you enough for such a gift. Thank you for this reminder as we share this bread. Thank you that we are reassured of your forgiveness at this moment as each of us eats of this bread. May our grateful thoughts rule our conduct this week. May our every action be motivated by your love. Thank you for accepting us. Amen.

Our Father, we are in awe that your love would reach down to save us in our sinful state. We continue to thank you for Jesus who was crucified because of our sins. He carried our guilt that you might accept us in your holy presence. He has claimed us as members of his body which was offered. And now we eat this bread as a representation of sharing in his body. We trust that we are perpetually offered to you as acceptable through him. We live because he lives as conqueror of sin and death. In this communion today we confess him again as our savior and we commit ourselves to you in him more firmly. Thank you for this bread and for Christ's presence which we visualize in it. Thank you for bringing us into union with you in him. Amen.

Our Father, our only claim before you is Jesus Christ. He is the only offering who can remove the sin that separates us from you. We thank you that we are cleansed by his blood so that we are at peace in you and can speak with you intimately. Thank you for reaching out to us through him. We praise him because he bore our punishment for sin that we might escape it. We thank you for this cup through which he chose to depict his blood. We drink of it at this time in recognition and praise of him. Amen.

Our God who gives and sustains life, we know that we cannot give or retain life by our own power. We are helpless before both physical and spiritual death. You have given us the grace of life through Jesus' giving of his life for us and to us. You have given us power over physical death through his resurrection. Father, this is beyond our understanding; yet we believe. Our belief is renewed and strengthened today as we drink of this which represents the very life that Jesus gave for us. While sharing this life together, we drink the cup together with deepest gratitude and reverent praise. Amen.

Our God whose promises give us hope, we eat this covenant meal before you today. You have agreed to receive us who believe in your son. You sealed your covenant with his blood. We, even in our faltering faith, believe in your son. Now we drink of the fruit of the vine which represents the blood of the covenant. In doing so, we commit ourselves again to our part of the agreement. You renew your promises in our hearts as we await the goal of our faith, even the saving of our souls eternally with you. Father, when we contemplate these things, we know that no praise is too extravagant. With hearts filled with awe and rejoicing, we thank you for his life which is given to us. Amen.

God and Father of all mankind, as we are gathered here today as a small number of your people celebrating our salvation, we envision the millions of others over the earth who share in your fellowship and ours. In your grace and mercy, you have washed us and reconciled us through the offering of Christ on the cross. We are all one body and family in you and in Christ. We commune with you and with one another while examining and judging only ourselves. Father, thank you for this fellowship into which you have called us. We know that you did not accept us because of our own merit, goodness, or correctness, but you accepted Jesus' merit for our sinfulness. His lifeblood bought us back from Satan. We thank you for this fruit of the vine which pictures that blood of sacrifice for us. As we all drink of it today, we are reminded that his offering is still effective for us. Thank you for continual cleansing as we live in fellowship with all whom you have accepted. Amen.

Just as we read prayers and praise while we sing, you may read your prayer in leading the assembly. If any of the prayers written above express what you wish to pray, copy them and read them. Or write out your own words and read them.

Pass these or other prayers on to the men, especially the younger ones, and urge them to make them their expressions also.

Suggest to the elders that more time be given for the Lord's Supper and that some capable person be put in charge to create a more meaningful communion through thoughtful comments, teachings, scripture readings, and prayers.

I hope that you have not judged me to be presumptuous or arrogant in this effort to make our communion a more worshipful experience.

(Some of my thoughts have come from The Lord's Supper by Warren Lewis, of The Living Word series of studies for adults. It was published in 1966 and withdrawn quickly due to protests by some influential brothers.)