Mon, Apr 4th - 9:11PM
BRETHREN DOCTRINES
The Communion
Climax to the Brethren love feast is that which is celebrated in common with many other denominations, the communion. All other parts of the love feast are preparatory and lead the participant to the taking of the bread and the cup. The fact that it is held as a climaxing part of a larger service does not in the least detract from its significance but instead adds to its solemnity. All Brethren who have participated in a love feast testify to the impressiveness of that moment when the entire assembly turns its attention from its own happy fellowship to the acts of God which are the ground of that fellowship.
What does communion mean? It is the same as it is for Christians all over the world and throughout time. It is the maximum peak of all sacraments because it is symbolic of the central fact of the gospel. The bread which is broken by individuals and the cup which we bless are the communion of the body and the blood of Christ through which the forgiving love of God is vouchsafed to us. All the poetry of all the world's languages is insufficient to set out the meaning of this fact. We can only stand amazed as we partake of these emblems and say, with Paul, "He loved me and gave Himself for me!"
This communion, or eucharist, is a memorial of Christ's death and passion. Christians from the very beginning spent much thought in recounting the death of their Lord and in trying to fathom the depths of its meaning. It is not unusual for movements to celebrate the birthday of their leaders. But it is highly significant that the Christian movement has celebrated also the death-day of its leader. This is not only done on Good Friday but as often as they eat this bread and drink this cup. It is done in remembrance of Christ Jesus and of what He accomplished through His willing death, burial, and resurrection.
It is also a recollection of the redemption which we have personally received. The tedious weight of gnawing guilt has been removed because our sins are now forgiven It has become our emancipation proclamation, our independence day, our spiritual birthday, our new year of jubilee. If any person is in Christ he/she is a new creature. The communion symbolizes this fact of the gospel. It is finally, a foretaste of the future. It has not only a backward and an upward look, but also a forward look into the deep mysteries of the Christian's hope. "For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He come (I Corinthians 11:26)." And Jesus Himself declared to such communicants: "I will raise Him up at the last day (John 6:54)."
I hope that this helps some to better understand a few of the Brethren doctrines and why we do certain things. God bless you all, and may His mercy and grace flow abundantly in your life this day and in the days to come!
~Eric
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Name: E J Rajaniemi
