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If your church is having the Lord's Supper, and...

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Alcott, Feb 25, 2008.

  1. Alcott

    Alcott Well-Known Member
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    ...you take one of those little cups, and though noticing it is very light, you pass the compartmentalized plate on, knowing the cups need to be distributed promptly, and then notice the cup you took is empty.... what do you do?

    Whisper to the one next to you to pass the plate back to you? Then what if it is already 2 or 3 takers away?

    Just put the empty little cup in the holder and forget it (as it's only a 'symbol')?

    Hold the cup as usual until time to partake, then pretend to drink as if it had some juice in it?-- Is this hypocrisy, or again, is it just a symbol anyway; in this case a 'symbol of a symbol?'

    If a person next to you is a close friend or family, show him/her the empty cup, tacitly requesting that person to share (one facet of the ordinance)?

    [Not trying to be funny with this one] Assume there is some Spiritual message (your thoughts are not focused properly; unconfessed sin; you have refused to do something in particular,....)?

    I ask this question because yesterday this situation did happen to me, for the first time I can recall. But I will refrain from telling what I did unless/until I read some ideas.
     
    #1 Alcott, Feb 25, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 25, 2008
  2. Crabtownboy

    Crabtownboy Well-Known Member
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    Lord's Supper

    Here we use a common cup. Each person either takes a sip or had held the bread and dips it into the wine [Baptist wine]. So there are no little cups to be missed. :laugh:

    I say Baptist wine as several hundred years ago the vineyards were destroyed in what is now the Czech Republic. Interestingly enough, German Baptists had a reputation of being very good at growing grapes and making wine. A request was sent requesting Baptists to restore the vineyards ... and they did. Thus there is not what we call "Baptist wine.":thumbs:
     
  3. Sopranette

    Sopranette New Member

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    I would just pretend to drink. It's all symbolic, anyway.

    love,

    Sopranette
     
  4. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    I would wait for the cup to be passed in the row behind me and then I'd turn around and take another. Just simple and quiet. I'd then tease the deacons who set up the communion that Saturday that they were making it hard to take communion when there's no juice in the cup! :laugh:
     
  5. Alcott

    Alcott Well-Known Member
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    That didn't even occur to me. But if it had, I am sure I would have immediately thought it would look like I couldn't wait and was going for a double-dose. Somehow, the last thing you want at that time is to do anything 'out of order' and call any attention to yourself.
     
  6. abcgrad94

    abcgrad94 Active Member

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    Same here, or I would have caught the attention of the usher or whoever was passing the plates as he came up the aise on the way back to the front. Then I'd tease the deacon later for sampling the juice before hand!:laugh:
     
  7. danthebaptist

    danthebaptist New Member

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    It is symbolic anyway, and I believe it would not make much difference what you all did as long as you did it decently and in order.

    We had one Lord's Day when one of the deacons had figured since it was sultry and we don't have AC that no doubt there wouldn't be a lot out to church. We have the Lord's Supper quarterly on the fifth Sunday so this was like in July. Anyway, the deacons served the congregation and they came back to the front with only three cups in the plate. There are three deacons and I as the preacher hadn't been served yet either. So, I felt it best to serve the deacons and not be served myself. I really don't think anyone noticed and if we are all really reverent and thinking about what Christ has done for us, we won't worry about what other folks or even about our self.

    Changing the subject some, I wonder how it is we take of the Lord's Supper in our churches? Is it reverent or just something we tack on to the end of the service.

    How about the washing of feet? Has your church tossed it out?

    Yours seeking truth,
    Dan
     
  8. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    How about another problem. Childern who take the elements, that should not be doing so?

    Salty
     
  9. abcgrad94

    abcgrad94 Active Member

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    Whenever my husband serves the communion, he reads scripture and explains why we observe communion, and who participates. He also gives us a few moments to silently pray. Our church believes in open communion, so it's for anyone who has been saved. Both of our kids have accepted Christ and have been baptitized, and they understand what communion means. We have no problem letting them participate.
     
  10. Alcott

    Alcott Well-Known Member
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    This is what I did. My thought was to just not do anything at all that puts any thoughts on me for those around me, including a supposed refusal to drink the cup I took. But since the elements are symbolic only, could we just forget about preparing them altogether and pretend to consume them? Then what about pretending to be baptized, since that doens't save us? I suppose it's easy to see, considering this, why many think there must be more to these practices than symbol; or else, why bother?
     
  11. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    The church I used to go to being small and all that, and everyone knowing everyone, I would probably not hesitate to signal discreetly to one of the deacons and whisper the problem to him. If that is not possible, then I'll forego communion altogether till next time.

    As for how we practice it ?

    Women sit on one side, men on the other.
    The elder/pastor reads Scripture pertinent to the Lord's Table.
    Prayer is made.
    The plate of bread is passed around, then the small cups of true, red wine, not grape juice.
    Then the cups are collected, and the oldest living deacon then comes to the front, removes his coat, and girds his waist with a long towel.
    He reads the Scripture on the Lord washing the disciples' feet, and then passes out to a brother the request to wash the brother's feet, after which the brother then washes his feet.
    At the same time, brethren are requesting other brethren for permission to wash feet, and so with the women requesting sisters permission to wash feet.
    The basins are emptied, the feet dried, and the congregation sings a hymn while giving each other and each one a hug.

    I love those days, and I miss those days.

    No Primitive Baptists here in Upstate NY.
     
  12. billreber

    billreber New Member

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    Ooops!

    A few years ago, our church was rather small, and we deacons had prepared the Supper for our usual small group. Quite a few visitors came that day, and we ended up with NO filled cups for the three deacons or the pastor. We did exactly as danthebaptist did! We four "faked it".

    We have long taught that the bread and the cup are symbolic, and so I see nothing wrong with OCCASIONAL things like this happening. I have tried to make it a point since that day, to make sure we have a LOT of "wasted" juice -- just in case we have a lot of visitors! However, I must also admit that we four met after church, and the pastor brought out a new can of grape juice, and we four celebrated the cup.

    God is good!

    Bill :laugh:
     
  13. SaggyWoman

    SaggyWoman Active Member

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    I might drink if it was empty.

    I might reach around and get another.

    I might go up to the front to get another.

    I might pour some of my pepsi in the cup and drink that.
     
  14. youngmom4

    youngmom4 New Member

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    Pepsi?! In church?! Don't you know good Baptists only take coffee or Coke into church?!!! :laugh:
     
  15. TC

    TC Active Member
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    This good Baptist does the Dew. :thumbs:
     
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