The Lord's Table Analysis

The Lord’s Table: Biblical and Theological Background

Castleman asserts that “Early Christian worship practices were greatly shaped by the words of Jesus as they were remembered and recited, written and copied by the original eyewitnesses.” The Eucharist, as identified in historical denominations, has its origin in the testimony of the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples found in the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John and the writings of Paul. In the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel most widely believed to be the first to survive, “the Last Supper is embedded in the Passion Story.” Complementary narratives of the Last Supper are also found in chapter 26 of the Gospel of Matthew and chapter 22 of the Gospel of Luke with distinct similarities

If you are hungry, eat at home, so that when you come together, it will not be for your condemnation.” Nevertheless, changes in the practice of the Lord’s Table progressed as Christian faith expanded.

Apostolic Practice

In the Didache, a document that “indicates how the earliest Christian communities used the teachings of Jesus and reenacted Jesus’ most prominent practices with the first disciples,” we observe the development of a basic pattern of celebration and regulations. Justin Martyr describes the procedure as follows:

“And this food is called among us Eucharistia [the Eucharist], of which no one is allowed to partake, but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has

He had a more minimalist view of the sacraments and positions the Eucharist as mainly a “visual aid a memorial.” Certainly, the reformers made a tremendous impact in our understanding and practice of the Lord’s Table. The fact that the communion act was reduced to a visual aid or a memorial raised issues concerning its importance and how frequent it should be celebrated.

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Practice

A primary concern of the Campbell’s was the restoration of “the ancient order of things,” mostly to bring the church and its worship to the standards of New Testament. Rediscovering worship in the light of scripture they observed that the New Testament church regarded two major elements in their worship, to gather the first day of the week and to break bread. Hence, the weekly breaking of the bread became the trademark of the Disciples of Christ worship.

Conclusions

The celebration of the Lord’s Supper is an expression of grace, shared by the community that gathers on the day of the Lord. To commune is to enter into dialogue with God and feast at the table where relationships are mended and strengthened, memories are cherished, new insight is gained, and covenants are renewed. As people, we are privileged to be invited to partake in God’s ongoing story of redemption and