A couple of years ago, my church, out of convenience, began supplying the congregation with prefilled communion cups with a wafer attached to the top. I’m not much of a traditionalist; however, these sterile elements really bothered me. I struggled to know why. The bread and cup are just symbols, so quality shouldn’t matter, should it?
I studied the scriptures and a little church history, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the quality of the communion elements matters a great deal – especially in Protestant churches. Using the right elements will greatly enhance the communion experience for men.
First, a little church history lesson.
God created us with five senses, and for centuries the church built its worship services around all five. Christian worship involved sight, sound, touch, taste and smell.
But during the Reformation, Protestant ministers came to mistrust the multisensory approach to worship. Based their reading of Romans 10:17 (Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God), these ministers closed off every path for the gospel except the ears. They stripped their sanctuaries of statues, icons and adornments of every kind. “Smells and bells” were banned; preaching became the only trusted conduit for the gospel.
Not much has changed since the 1500s. Even today, more than 80% of what we experience in Protestant worship comes in through our ears; including music, preaching, and announcements. In recent years, a visual component has elbowed its way back into our worship spaces (the big screen), but very few churches display compelling visual content on their screens.
Now back to communion. The Lord’s Supper is the one and only time Protestants allow themselves to worship God with all five senses. They hear God’s Word as the minister gives instruction. They see and touch the elements in their hands. And they smell and taste as the bread and cup come to their lips.
And that’s why a styro-wafer and pasteurized juice just don’t cut it – especially for men. It’s hard for us to imagine Christ’s broken body if it tastes like a packing peanut.
Communion is not only a remembrance of the Lord’s death. It’s also a foreshadowing of the great wedding feast of the lamb, a glorious celebration we’ll all enjoy in heaven one day. In the early church, the Lord’s Supper was an actual feast – of such quality that people were eager to dig in, and some even got drunk! (1 Cor. 11:20 ff) While it’s not practical to serve a meal in our worship services today, we can still make communion a celebration worthy of the Lord himself.
Here are some recommendations for a communion feast that will help men experience God:
- Use the freshest, most aromatic, full-bodied bread you can find. Buy the good stuff. I prefer multi-grain bread, because the body of Christ is not just white people. Of course, a quality unleavened bread is also good, since that’s what Jesus would have eaten with his disciples.
- Instead of pre-cutting the bread, allow the saints to tear off individual pieces. This reminds us that we are the ones who broke his body.
- Encourage men to take a big piece of bread if they choose. Christians are used to taking a tiny morsel, but why? It’s the Lord’s Supper, not the Lord’s Snack. Let a man take a mouthful if he chooses, as a symbol of his hunger for Jesus. Buy (or bake) plenty of bread and donate the rest to the local homeless shelter.
- Instead of serving people in their seats, invite them to come forward. This symbolizes the fact that each of us must come to Jesus. The more you engage a man’s body in worship, the better.
- If your church rules allow it, it’s good to use real wine. The early church used real wine (see 1 Cor. 11:20 ff) Wine stings the back of the throat. This tiny bit of discomfort reminds us of the suffering of Jesus. (Of course, have juice available for those who abstain from alcohol).
- Some churches have begun to perform distracting, vocal music during communion. I would discourage that. Keep any background music soft. Use deep bass notes to suggest the seriousness of Jesus’ sacrifice.
I don’t know about you, but communion is one of my favorite times of worship. Partaking of the bread and the cup is a profoundly moving experience for me. We enhance this experience for men when we use quality elements.
Next time, I’ll write about a couple of ways we can make baptism more relevant for men.
Thanks for the thought provoking post. I think you have some great ideas for enjoying this sacrament for what it’s meant to be … a reminder of Jesus’ sacrificial death.
Men might enjoy music like “I Remember You” during communion. It’s short, simple and to the point, plus it features the gravely vocals of Mac Powell from Third Day. You can give it a listen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuzQA_wNBso
By the way, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the man-sized approach to Bible study I posted on my blog today: http://bit.ly/dArAN9
Thanks,
Dave
I’m a chaplain with the Washington National Guard. I did communion last month during drill, using large loafs of french bread and a lot of juice. I set a table where the Soldiers could first pray and then take as much of each as they wanted. Guys went to the table, prayed, communed with God, and then hung out and communed with each other as the worship continued.
I also had the privilege of participating in a sabbath dinner with a Rabbi and Jewish Chaplain. As my friend worked through the worship hymns, he would take large loafs of challah bread, tear them to pieces, and throw kosher salt on them, rubbing the pieces into the salt on the table. It was a very physical, active activity. He passed the plates of bread around to all of us–plenty to have leftovers–along with with hummus he had seasoned himself. We ate and drank large glasses of wine or juice. Then a full meal followed, in which we all–Christians included–simply enjoyed being together. To me, that has become the benchmark of communion.
Thanks for the article, and the reminder that we are to participate in communion physically.
dre
At the “mega” church I presently attend the communion service is so non masculine that it is almost painfull. Long ago I went to a Messianic Jewish Church and I had forgotten how much more manly and satisfying communion was untill I read your article. Thank you for the reminder. Some of us have been trying to get a mens decipleship “program” started and after 3 years of work and prayer it looks like it may finally happen.Please pray foe us. Thanks Ross
I agree that churches need to make the communion experience more robust. But I disagree that a styro-wafer and a tiny cup of juice are somehow “feminine.” They’re not. Women enjoy the smells and tastes of good bread and wine, too.
Please, as a Christian woman I’m asking: don’t equate everything wrong with Protestant churches as “femininization.” In this case the problem is better termed “sterilization,” which has nothing whatsoever to do with femininity. It’s much more likely to be rooted in the scientific age and modern notions of hygiene, than anything else.
Amen Dave! I was on a retreat several years back where we actually tore the bread and the whole experience came alive. In many churches, and in many Christian’s lives, the biggest risk comes in whether the wafer was chewed up enough to not catch in the throat and not have enough juice to wash it down!
Keep it up!
Rich
“And that’s why a styro-wafer and pasteurized juice just don’t cut it – especially for men”
Doesn’t cut it for women either. Our church sometimes has a big loaf of bread on a table with a cup of grape juice for us to dip it into. We tear off a piece and dip, and walk away to contemplate before eating.
I’m cool with all of it except the “everyone tear off their own piece” part. I’m not “ick-ish,” but I just don’t want to come behind someone who just came from the bathroom (and may not have washed), someone who has had a runny nose, etc.
During the Passover, you could be pretty sure that all hands were clean, since kosher was observed. But in the local church, not so much.
I would have some pieces torn off…and leave the rest of the bread for others if they wish to tear a piece off.
I just finished reading “Why Men Hate Going to Church” and wrote an article based on it for my priest to review. It caught my attention because I had a conversation along this line with my priest a number of months ago. The book answered many questions I had and raised new ones. I am Orthodox Christian (convert)and I think you are right on the money. As for your thoughts on communion, there is truly no communion that I’ve experienced more moving or holy than the Eucharist in the Orthodox Church.
God bless,
Dot
Where I’ve taken communion, the bread wrapped in a white linen was held by the pastor and each person pulled off a piece… so it was not touched by the person before you…… very sanitary way to serve it…..
If you find communion so engaging and moving a worship experience, perhaps you would be inspired investigating the Catholic church, with communion as an integral part of every mass, engaging all the senses in worship. Also, why would Jesus be so insistent on saying, “For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink,” John 6:55, if He didn’t mean it to be real and not just a symbol? Many of His disciples left after He declared this because it was too hard a teaching to accept. If He meant it as just a symbol, why didn’t He just clarify it them, saying it was just a symbol, so they wouldn’t leave? But He did not say it was a symbol, but said it was real. Why not believe that Jesus meant what he said? In which case your discomfort with pre-packaged communion would be perfectly correct.
Great thoughts on communion and I agree wholeheartedly.
Hi, I’m new to your site, this way of celebrating the lord’s supper is different, but not that different from tradition.
Ford Man: One way to make shure the bread stays clean is to have the husher hold the bread.
As far as germs go, you should attend an anglican communion were the cup is passed from person to person (it may explain wy some rushed to the front of the line) but then again it was fermented wine.
FYI…The Eastern Orthodox Church uses leavened bread because Christ is “risen.” Just an interesting aside.
Communion started to lose it’s impact when churches started to do “drive by”communion. You have to approach the alter and kneel down and believe in the presence of Jesus Christ. Otherwise, it’s a sham and a shame. Why bother with a symbol?
If you want music, you could use the refrain “Jesus remember me” from Taize. It’s a chant that people can sing while waiting and rejoin after communing.
For strong visuals, I’ve been telling the guy at the church I attend to project icons on that big, clean, open wall space beside the reredos.