Communion Once A Month

[Robyn]

She's so right :)

[jmjtina]

this is what I understand from a friend who has invited me to his church and we talked about it, it's a symbol, the bread (which was just bread on a paper plate) and wine (in dixie cups) and they did it as symbolisim, just that a SYMBOL. ( i even brought up the fact that if it was so important to them, why on regular paper cups/plates? Where's the respect?) I'm sorry but I find that truly empty versus the true body and blood of Jesus Christ. We didn't have a huge debate over it b/c I didn't "understand" but I was pointing out that TRULY we have the body and blood of Christ! Is it so far-fetched? Is that so impossible for God? No, but humans think to so...........and you know what i found odd? The kept saying "Amen" CONSTANTLY!!!!! I mean you couldn't even hear the prayers or scriptures, EVERYBODY was saying it.

that is what we mean by no "fluff" just the real stuff.....it is TRULY the BODY and BLOOD of Jesus Christ!

God Bless! B)

[jmjtina]

besides the converts say it best, many of us here on the phorum were of other denominations before becoming catholic, so we aren't pretending.

peace.

[foundsheep]

guys, don't pretend to know what you're talking about when you don't.... just like I shouldn't pretend to understand Catholicism.

have a good day.

Am I pretending that It wasnt in the scripture. This is your chance to explain it. Does your church do it more often? Im certainly not pretending to do anything. What i am establishing is the importance of the body and blood to the apostles. Am I wrong to feel denominational churches have lessoned its importance?

1 corinthians 11:18-27

18

First of all, I hear that when you meet as a church there are divisions among you, and to a degree I believe it;

19

there have to be factions among you in order that (also) those who are approved among you may become known. 10

20

When you meet in one place, then, it is not to eat the Lord's supper,

21

for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper, and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.

22

Do you not have houses in which you can eat and drink? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and make those who have nothing feel ashamed? What can I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this matter I do not praise you.

23

11 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread,

24

and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

25

In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

26

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

27

Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. 12

[MartinLuther]

yet another erroneous generalisation about non-catholic churches.........

it might be true about some christian churches but not all.

Most Churches of Christ churches in Australia have communion every service, every Sunday. The Christian Brethren church I attended for a few months had communion every Sunday, although only at morning service.

At one Church of Christ church I attended, the congregation treated communion time with a lot more respect & reverence than many catholics treat communion (even though the thoelogical beliefs about communion are different). We would be on our knees in prayer for 5 minutes at the foot of the cross at the front of the church before taking communion. And often the pastor would insist that before taking communion, we make peace with anyone else in the church we were in disagreement with, or had sinned against. I'm not sure if I have explained this very well. You had to be there.

I expect most of you all are very pious orthodox catholics with strong beliefs about communion, but at some catholic churches, communion is just something that is rushed so that everyone can get out of the church in less than 48 minutes after the service started, or often it is just a chance to look at which members of the opposite sex are at mass this sunday.

Edited October 23, 2003 by MartinLuther

[Jake Huether]

yet another erroneous generalisation about non-catholic churches.........

it might be true about some christian churches but not all.

Most Churches of Christ churches in Australia have communion every service, every Sunday.  The Christian Brethren church I attended for a few months had communion every Sunday, although only at morning service.

At one Church of Christ church I attended, the congregation treated communion time with a lot more respect & reverence than many catholics treat communion (even though the thoelogical beliefs about communion are different).  We would be on our knees in prayer for 5 minutes at the foot of the cross at the front of the church before taking communion.  And often the pastor would insist that before taking communion, we make peace with anyone else in the church we were in disagreement with, or had sinned against.  I'm not sure if I have explained this very well.  You had to be there.

I expect most of you all are very pious orthodox catholics with strong beliefs about communion, but at some catholic churches, communion is just something that is rushed so that everyone can get out of the church in less than 48 minutes after the service started, or often it is just a chance to look at which members of the opposite sex are at mass this sunday.

But I think the point was that MOST protestant denominations, while built "on the Bible" DON'T have communion as often as the Apostles did.

And while, sure, there may be a few denominations (like yours), that frequent it, the question remains to be answered:

If the Spirit lead your congregation to understand Scripture to mean "communion at least once a week", how do you defend your interpritation against other BIBLE churches that maintain the Spirit lead them to ANOTHER understanding of Scripture which indicated "communion twice a year"?

You both read the same Scripture right? So, who's interpritation is right?

The Catholic Church doesn't have a problem, because you see, we don't base our belief on the Bible! The Bible is based on our belief!

[Jake Huether]

We would be on our knees in prayer for 5 minutes at the foot of the cross at the front of the church before taking communion.

O' mu gosh! Your church worships crosses!

Okay, so now you see why we are "on our knees" before statues of Jesus and his Fam'.

[[jas]]

besides the converts say it best, many of us here on the phorum were of other denominations before becoming catholic, so we aren't pretending.

But anyone who converted the other direction can't talk because they "didn't understand"...right?

I love this place...

Sorry for the offtopic post, you may now continue your regular protestant-bashing

[BLAZEr]

Agreed . . . many Catholics are very bad at being good Catholics . . .

However, most protestants are much worse at being good catholics . ..

And we believe that you should "discern the body and blood" as St. Paul says . . . maybe most Catholics don't . . . but, umm, Grace supplies . . .

[marielapin]

We would be on our knees in prayer for 5 minutes at the foot of the cross at the front of the church before taking communion.  And often the pastor would insist that before taking communion, we make peace with anyone else in the church we were in disagreement with, or had sinned against.  I'm not sure if I have explained this very well.  You had to be there.

Wow. Sounds a lot like the sign of peace and the five/ten minutes of kneeling we do before/after receiving Communion during Mass.

[marielapin]

,Oct 23 2003, 11:29 AM] But anyone who converted the other direction can't talk because they "didn't understand"...right?

I love this place...

Sorry for the offtopic post, you may now continue your regular protestant-bashing

[jas], I think the point they were trying to make is that not all of us have been Catholic our whole life. When I talk about the United Methodist Church, I try to limit my comments to exactly what I was taught as a United Methodist.

If some ex-Catholic said they were taught doctrine X while attending a Catholic Church, but the Church does not teach doctrine X but doctrine Y, then yes, we would say you are wrong and explain why.

But adding your own opinion and commentary about the experience is not something that is "wrong".

I haven't seen one ounce of protestant bashing on this thread. Please, pull out some phrases that bothered you.

[Katholikos]

yet another erroneous generalisation about non-catholic churches.........

it might be true about some christian churches but not all.

Most Churches of Christ churches in Australia have communion every service, every Sunday. The Christian Brethren church I attended for a few months had communion every Sunday, although only at morning service.

At one Church of Christ church I attended, the congregation treated communion time with a lot more respect & reverence than many catholics treat communion (even though the thoelogical beliefs about communion are different).  We would be on our knees in prayer for 5 minutes at the foot of the cross at the front of the church before taking communion.  And often the pastor would insist that before taking communion, we make peace with anyone else in the church we were in disagreement with, or had sinned against.  I'm not sure if I have explained this very well.  You had to be there.

I expect most of you all are very pious orthodox catholics with strong beliefs about communion, but at some catholic churches, communion is just something that is rushed so that everyone can get out of the church in less than 48 minutes after the service started, or often it is just a chance to look at which members of the opposite sex are at mass this sunday.

But, ML, we can't possibly describe the "communion service" for all 33,820 Protestant denominations, now can we?!

So we generalize. And some of us speak with the authority and experience of having been Protestant.

By way of example, in Luther's belief the substance of the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ exists with the substance of the bread and wine. But Luther was alone. No other Protestant group that followed him holds this doctrine.

You are mistaken about Catholics. There is only one doctrine of the Eucharist, and Catholics can take it or leave it. Those who leave it (i.e., deny the teaching of the Church on the Eucharist) are no longer Catholic -- though to you and others they may appear to be. You can't tell a Catholic by his behavior. A man may look like a Catholic, walk like a Catholic, talk like a Catholic, and not be a Catholic!

For the record, I am Catholic. I believe everything the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church teaches, because God revealed it through the Apostles to the Church long before the Bible ever existed. Belief makes the Catholic. The New Testament is based on the Church, not vice versa.

In case you aren't aware of it, the Catholic Church is nearly 400 years older than the Bible.

Oremus pro invicem, Katholikos

Ex-Southern Baptist, ex-agnostic, ex-atheist, ecstatic to be Catholic!

[Katholikos]

,Oct 23 2003, 10:29 AM] But anyone who converted the other direction can't talk because they "didn't understand"...right?

I know from having talked with many of them, that those who leave the Catholic Church usually fall into these categories: (1) those who don't know the Faith, or (2) those who are mistaken about what the Church teaches, and/or (3) those who are ignorant of the history of Christianity/Catholicism [they are one and the same] and the history of the Bible.

These conditions make weak Catholics vulnerable to Protestant propaganda. Instead of curing their deficiencies in the One True Church which Christ founded, they give up Truth for fiction.

Ignorance is not just the enemy of the Church -- it is the enemy of our souls!

Ave Cor Mariae, Katholikos

[Jake Huether]

,Oct 23 2003, 09:29 AM] But anyone who converted the other direction can't talk because they "didn't understand"...right?

I love this place...

Sorry for the offtopic post, you may now continue your regular protestant-bashing

But anyone who converted the other direction can't talk because they "didn't understand"...right?

No, they can talk... And they have... And when they talk, they only prove that this is true:

1) don't know the Faith.

2) are mistaken about what the Church teaches, and/or.

3) are ignorant of the history of Christianity/Catholicism [they are one and the same] and the history of the Bible.

And I'll add the fourth one, which in many cases is true:

4) they didn't want to give up a particular vice, so they settled for a church that accepts it.

[Katholikos]

No, they can talk... And they have... And when they talk, they only prove that this is true:

1) don't know the Faith.

2) are mistaken about what the Church teaches, and/or.

3) are ignorant of the history of Christianity/Catholicism [they are one and the same] and the history of the Bible.

And I'll add the fourth one, which in many cases is true:

4) they didn't want to give up a particular vice, so they settled for a church that accepts it.

Right on, Jake! Thanks for adding that. There's one more:

They're getting even with their parents by leaving the Church in which they were raised -- kicking their surrogate Mother, the Catholic Church, in the shins.

Katholikos