Category Archives: Lord’s Supper

1 Corinthians 11:17-34: “Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?”

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Jay F Guin

I posted a series on 1 Corinthians several months ago in preparation for teaching a class covering the epistle. Today, I taught on the problems with the Lord’s Supper described in 1 Cor 11:17-34. Until I was preparing for class … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians, Lord's Supper | 10 Comments

A Communion Meditation: The Poverty of the Passover Lamb

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Jay F Guin

One of the Bible’s most common images for Jesus is the “lamb of God.” Over and over he is pictured as a sacrificed lamb — a Passover sacrifice. For example, (John 1:29 ESV) he next day he saw Jesus coming … Continue reading →

Posted in Communion Meditations, Lord's Supper, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

New Post Up at Wineskins: N. T. Wright’s The Meal Jesus Gave Us

Posted on May 3, 2015 by Jay F Guin

Reflections on N. T. Wright’s 1999 book The Meal Jesus Gave Us: Understanding Holy Communion. 

Posted in Book Reviews, Lord's Supper, Uncategorized | Comments Off on New Post Up at Wineskins: N. T. Wright’s The Meal Jesus Gave Us

Progressive Churches of Christ: Baptism

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Jay F Guin

So the subject is Sacraments, and we’ve talked about the Lord’s Supper. That leaves baptism. And we’re much better at our baptismal practices than our Eucharistic practices. At least, some of us are. I visited one church that had a … Continue reading →

Posted in Baptism, Lord's Supper, Progressive Churches of Christ, Sacraments, Uncategorized | 89 Comments

Progressive Churches of Christ: The Lord’s Supper, Part 2

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Jay F Guin

Next, think about this in terms of story. When we take communion in our traditional way at church, what is the story that we are telling? In many churches, the story is: We care about the scriptures more than “the … Continue reading →

Posted in Baptism, Lord's Supper, Progressive Churches of Christ, Sacraments, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Progressive Churches of Christ: The Lord’s Supper, Part 1

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Jay F Guin

Let’s talk about the Sacraments. You see, I’m persuaded that a key step in the right direction is a re-envisioning of the Sacraments as community events that draw us toward Jesus. The traditional Church of Christ approach to the Lord’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Baptism, Lord's Supper, Progressive Churches of Christ, Sacraments, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Worship: The Assembly (the Lord’s Supper, Part 3)

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Jay F Guin

Now, when we try to connect the Lord’s Supper with the Temple or tabernacle, we quickly find the close analogy of the Passover. John says that Jesus was crucified on the Friday before Passover (John 19:14), called the Day of Preparation. … Continue reading →

Posted in Lord's Supper, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Worship: The Assembly (the Lord’s Supper, Part 2)

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Jay F Guin

We have this tendency to treat the assembly in a pagan way. Rather than seeing the Lord’s Supper as a gift and a blessing to be gratefully received from God, we see it as a magic spell. If we get … Continue reading →

Posted in Lord's Supper, Renewing Our Worship, Uncategorized, What Must be Preserved of the Churches of Christ? | 22 Comments

Worship: The Assembly (the Lord’s Supper, Part 1)

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Jay F Guin

In the NT, ekklēsia refers to the people in the church, not the assembly per se.  We are always the church, and so, in a sense, we Christians are always gathered to hear God’s word and to worship. But very occasionally, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Lord's Supper, Renewing Our Worship, Uncategorized, What Must be Preserved of the Churches of Christ? | 14 Comments

1 Corinthians 11:17-34 (FAQs)

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Jay F Guin

Q. Should we practice open or closed communion? A. The Churches of Christ have always practiced open communion. Following Alexander Campbell’s counsel to neither “invite nor debar,” the Churches never refuse communion to anyone present (other than an unbaptized child). Most Churches … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians, Communion Meditations, Lord's Supper, Uncategorized | 20 Comments