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A Short History of the
Meaning of the Holy Eucharist |
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When |
What Happened |
Response |
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Before Christ |
Exodus |
Passover.
“Grace” before eating or drinking.
Focus is on Thanking God; and Remembering,
Confessing, & Proclaiming What God has done
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1st Century |
Resurrection & Last
Supper |
Complete meals shared
together by the local Christian community.
Focus is on Remembrance of Christ; Thanksgiving for what God
has done through Christ; Presence of the Risen Lord; One Body; and
Foretaste of the Messianic Banquet
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Middle of the
2nd Century |
Sacred nature lost due to
Gentile environment, party atmosphere,
anti-social behavior (1 Cor. 11:17f).
Persecution by Roman legislation.
Catering difficulties. |
No longer a full evening
assembly.
Bread and Wine in an early morning service and is prefixed
with a synagogue-style liturgy of the Word and Prayers.
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4th Century |
Conversion of
Constantine.
Christianity becomes legal. |
Articulation of how
Christ’s presence is experienced.
Growing emphasis on the food as the locus of this presence.
Growing connection on Consecration and Christ’s presence.
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4th Century |
Church membership
increases! |
Bread and Wine are taken
to those unable to be present.
The consciousness of the local church as a tight-knit
community declines.
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4th Century |
New converts with only a
limited grasp
of the faith. Clergy stress the need for a proper
disposition in approaching Holy Eucharist. |
Instead of a more
reverent attitude when receiving, people judged themselves to be
unworthy to receive communion.
More church attendance; But Less communicants.
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Middle Ages |
Majority of people take
communion no
more than once or twice a year, and
attend the service without receiving communion. |
People see communion not
as a meal, but as an object of devotion.
The rite is a visually dramatic ceremony by which the bread
and wine become Christ’s body and blood to be worshipped from afar
but not approached.
Focus is on Christ’s sacrifice of himself offered to the
Father so that the benefits of his passion might be appropriated
by Christians whether present or absent.
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16th Century |
Reformation |
Priest and people
together make Eucharist
Regular weekly service, but still worthy reception (still
infrequent & for the specially devout).
Focus is on eating bread and drinking wine in thankful
remembrance of Christ’s death.
The reformers reject the notion that Christ is in any sense
offered in the Eucharist; and reject the idea that any
transformation takes place in the bread and wine themselves, and
think instead that Christ is present only to the worthy
communicant through the reception of the elements.
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20th Century |
Liturgical
Movement |
Communion is the central
service of the church every Sunday.
Corporate celebration by the congregation.
Not merely an opportunity for individuals to receive
communion.
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21st Century |
Post-Modern Response |
Community. Authenticity.
Mystery.
Spirituality-Religion Connection
Ancient-Future Connection
Preaching is honest about human experience and bold about
the Incarnation and Resurrection
Eclectic, not locked-in categories |
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