My first Eucharist... (Jesus Christ, priests, rejecting, soul, blood)

[johnnys4life]

Okay I am going to be picky here for a minute, not sure that is the right thing to do but if not I will find soon find out. Having been in and out of several protestant churches throughout my life, and having been a protestant for 5 years, I have never been to a church where the eucharist was performed as anything but a symbol, and sometimes hardly even that.

Though I am protestant I have some unsettling feelings about their way of handling it at times. Picky complaint #1 they use torn pieces of yeast-risen bread (usually the stalest and oldest they can find) to symbolize the body of Christ. Why is this when all throughout the Bible yeast is referred to as a symbol of sin, and Christ is therefore symbolically full of it? Catholics at least use unlevened bread, but why are they individual wafers when one of the points of eucharist is that you all eat from the same loaf to show the oneness with each other in Christ?
#2 they rarely use wine to symbolize the blood of Jesus. They usually use grape juice so as not to offend any recovering alcoholics, but sometimes it can be just about anything from fruit punch to grape soda. Kinda hard to concentrate on the blood of Christ when it fizzes in your mouth. Catholics do drink from the same cup of wine but most Protestants don't. My husband says it shows the usual Protestant lack of regard for ritual and symbolism.
Protestants also do not ordinarily take a moment to confess any sin before they take communion, and they allow anyone at all to take it, which is totally contrary to the Bible.
I have a question. (I think someone already asked this) Do the priests always take and eat or drink whatever is left over after the eucharist, or do they just throw it away? Because even if you don't believe that it's the body and blood of Christ, it seems wrong to me to throw away even the "symbolic" equivalent of it.

[anders]

As has been made clear to me, my experience doesn't cover all varieties of Protestantism, but only the Lutheran Church of Sweden. I was a Protestant for some 40 years, so I think I have a fair grasp of the Swedish views.

Like I wrote on the previous page, I was convinced that bread and wine were symbols only. However, all Lutheran churches following the Augsburg Confession and the Book of Concord believe that the flesh and blood of Christ really is there, though hidden for our senses. After the ceremony, Christ disappears, so the leftovers can be handled like the bread and wine they are. In spite of this, I have seen special little sinks in sacristies, where excess wine is poured out. I don't remember what happened to it afterwards.

I never saw anything else than separate unleavened wafers, and never thought about it. Using leavened bread, like in the Orthodox churches, might be a way of distinguishing the bread from the unleavened Jewish Easter matzot, as well as giving the possibility to break the bread. Your point "the same loaf" is very good indeed; I'll remember it.

The view of the Church of Sweden was that it must be wine; "red, heavy, sweet and fragrant", usually a very good port-wine or madeira, which congregations are allowed to buy tax free (and that makes a huge difference here). The Council of bishops now recommends real wine, pointing to several pasages in the Bible, but allows grape juice. They very firmly state that any wine substitute must be made from the fruits of the vine. The wine was always delivered from one chalice, the rim of which was wiped after every participant, but nowadays, I think most churches use separate chalices, because of the increased awareness of contagious diseases.

Early in every high mass (the normal Sunday morning service), a standard confession is read, regardless of if communion will follow or not. There will normally be sufficent time before the meal for further contemplation of sins.

In principle, you should have been through confirmation before partaking in communion. That is probably because you should know what you're doing and why. But everybody is welcome to the Lord's table. Anything else would, I think, be contrary to all Christian principles, and any way, it would be impossible to check.

[Scott1]

Do the priests always take and eat or drink whatever is left over after the eucharist, or do they just throw it away? Because even if you don't believe that it's the body and blood of Christ, it seems wrong to me to throw away even the "symbolic" equivalent of it.

The consecrated hosts are not thown away, and the wine is consumed.

[Mr Spinkles]

The view of the Church of Sweden was that it must be wine; "red, heavy, sweet and fragrant", usually a very good port-wine or madeira, which congregations are allowed to buy tax free (and that makes a huge difference here). The Council of bishops now recommends real wine, pointing to several pasages in the Bible, but allows grape juice. They very firmly state that any wine substitute must be made from the fruits of the vine. The wine was always delivered from one chalice, the rim of which was wiped after every participant

I am reminded of the Lilliputian wars in Gulliver's Travels...

[Scott1]

Can Someone Move This Thread To Religious Discussion Where It Belongs Please?

[Mister Emu]

I have always seen communion as symbolic.

First the breaking of the bread and pouring of the wine symbolizes the breaking of Jesus's body and the spilling of His blood for us.

Secondly the partaking of the bread and wine symbolizes and reaffirms letting Jesus come into your body.

I also believe that any man or woman should be allowed to join the communion, for if they let (or want to let) Jesus in their life, who am I to tell them they cannot be in communion with Him.

If you know of any scripture to dispute my views I would gladly admit I am wrong as I am always trying to spiritualy grow.

[roli]

Is there actual understanding as to why this practice is conducted by the religious community,
and is it for everyone that comes thru the doors of the church or for only a selected few

[roli]

This is correct, it is associated with the identification of Christ, his life ,death ,burial and resurrection

[roli]

Sorry about this topics interduction, but it is directly related to the hole of communion, I do believe

[imamom]

Boy was this post a reminder of something that occured im my youth I was brought up Mehtodist and went to a Catholic Church with one of my friends. I was also nervous not knowing what to expect. My mouth was dry and the little round cardboard sorta stuck to the roof of my mouth. I hoped that no one could see me (mouth closed) trying to use my tongue to unstick it. Thanks for bringing back a memory of long ago.