[Pastor Ralph]

Q2. How can an extreme symbolic interpretation cause a person to have too little respect for the Lord's Supper and its elements? Where is the balance, do you think?

[hausmouse]

How can an extreme symbolic interpretation cause a person to have too little respect for the Lord's Supper and its elements? Where is the balance, do you think?

I fear that much of our Christian worship is easily made flippant these days. We dress casually (I'm ok with that) and we laugh a lot (I'm fine with that too); we often make a lot of announcements in our service (necessary, I acknowledge), but all these things have changed the way we approach worship. If we think of the bread as 'just bread' and the cup as 'just juice' or 'just wine' then there is a decided danger of taking it too casually.

The manner in which that particular part of the service is conducted plays an enormous part in how we approach communion. Perhaps it has less to do with the symbolic interpretation of the elements themselves and more to do with the solemnity of the person/people leading in worship at that point. If the person leading guides the people to focus on Christ and to express thanks for His atoning work, then there will not be a casual attitude to the Lord's Supper. "This do in REMEMBRANCE..." must be first and foremost in our participation of the Lord's Table.

[pickledilly]

Becoming extreme in either direction can easily cause us to become overly dogmatic and judgmental or dangerously casual and anemic. Since the example of Christ is neither, we really need to beware. As to the specific question of adopting an extreme symbolic interpretation, this could definitely cause a careless attitude toward the purpose and use of the elements of the Lord's Supper. I agree that anything specifically instituted by Christ Himself is sacred and must be treated with utmost respect, even when we cannot fully understand. That's just an exercise in faith!

I think the balance in disagreement about specifics can only be gained by focusing not so much on the practice, but on the Provider. Christ has provided the only sacrifice that could save us from sin. He has provided redemption and restoration to the Father. He has provided our holiness to make us acceptable to God. He has provided the only way to gain eternal life in heaven. And He has provided the Spirit to live within and guide our journey there. The celebration of His Supper of remembrance is a holy, reverent thing. Our motive and desire should be to do this in remembrance of Him.

[cct1106]

There is danger because there are some who do not truly understand the meaning of the Lord's Supper. The parables that are said are not to be taken literally. Each parable has a spiritual meaning, not morbid. We should hold the rememberance of Jesus Christ close to are hearts and truly understand what the Lord's Supper or as some would call The Last Supper truly means.

[haar]

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It is not right to take the elements of the Holy Communion as mere bread and blood. The fact that they symbolise the body and blood of Jesus is one reason why every Christian should approach the 'table' and each element on the table with reverence. Any thing less demean our Lord.

God bless you all.

haar

[s8nfighter]

How can an extreme symbolic interpretation cause a person to have too little respect for the Lord's Supper and its elements? Where is the balance, do you think?
Any time we take things to the extreme and put too much importance on things of God rather than placing all importance on God we face trouble. Evidence of this is found in Acts 19:13 A team of Jews who were traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus. The incantation they used was this: "I command you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!" 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. 15 But when they tried it on a man possessed by an evil spirit, the spirit replied, "I know Jesus, and I know Paul. But who are you?" 16 And he leaped on them and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and badly injured. And the LORD cautions us through John in Rev. 2 Look how far you have fallen from your first love! Turn back to me again and work as you did at first. If you don't, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.
It is not about bread and wine as it was not about the handkerchiefs or cloths in Acts 19, it is about remembering Christ Jesus and loving Him because he first loved us.
I don't think anyone who believes in a purely symbolic interpretation of the Lord's Supper and remembers the crucifiction and resurection can lose any respect for our Savior. I just don't see how that is possible.
Darrell

[baseballfan]

If the symbolism is too extreme, lacking significance, than the act it represents can lose importance. The balance is created by focusing on the act that the elements represent.

[MannyVelarde]

Q2. How can an extreme symbolic interpretation cause a person to have too little respect for the Lord's Supper and its elements? Where is the balance, do you think?

The entire church experience I feel has become to casual and carefree. We do not approach God with reverence as He requires. God is the most powerful God and teh most loving God, but that does not allow us to stroll casually into His presence. Our service has very little worship involved in it and very less and less Scripture and true praise and worship. Communion can then become casual as well, and the seriousness of incorrect worship - as in Nadab and ABihu's incorrect sacrifice and as believers partaking of communion in an incorrect matter show that God is serious about how to approach Him.

There is balance but God must be the center of focus of everything we do, and we should do so in respect and reverence that He has always required.

[jaunita]

Quote

How can an extreme symbolic interpretation cause a person to have too little respect for the Lord's Supper and its elements? Where is the balance, do you think?

Though the bread and the wine are symbolic, I believe they are so much more--if not why were these warnings issued concerning them?

24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

27Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

30For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 1Cor.11

These warnings tell me that to partake 'lightly' or only symbolically would be a grave mistake. The balance, in my opinion, is in the phrase; "... not discerning the Lord's body"

To discern is to "know"--to have an understanding of both the body and blood of Christ through His sacrifice.

Though I don't believe there is an actual transformation of the bread and wine into the body and blood in taking the Lords supper, I do believe in a spiritual sense, we are to see them this way as we partake.

[Lisa Rupert]

Q2. How can an extreme symbolic interpretation cause a person to have too little respect for the Lord's Supper and its elements? Where is the balance, do you think?

The traditions we follow in our churches today demonstrates so little reverence to the Lord. We go to church and hope that the time passes so we can leave. We don't really give focus to the real reason that we attend church in the beginning. We are there to worship God, to give thanks, to receive the Lord's Supper, to fellowship with other Christians, to study the word and to welcome in those that want to be saved.
There are those that wait until there is a crisis before they actually acknowledge our true reason for being there. We should hold everything that comes from "The Word" as sacred and we should respect it and pay homage to it the way we are intended to do. I guess that is why there will be an attack on the churches.
The balance is in the "power" in healing, comforting, and challenging presence and working of Jesus Christ the Lord through the Holy Spirit.
But if the church does not teach this then how can one know what the importance is?

[Don W]

When on one side the elements mean only the symbols of every day living (such as when we eat bread with our usual meals or drink wine with our friends), then they lose all the holiness of Christ’s body and blood and we no longer worship the Lord Jesus but rather the elements themselves and this is wrong. When, on the other side, the elements become so “sacred” in themselves that we dare not partake of them when we have sinned against the Lord or dare not spill them when we partake of the Lord’s Supper, then we may forget that they are symbols of the Lord’s body and blood shed for us on the cross at Calvary for His forgiveness of all of our sins, and it is wrong to partake of these elements without thinking of the Lord who gave them to us. The middle ground, I believe, is as our act of worshiping the Lord as a part of the Lord’s Supper, we need to realize that they are elements but the real power of them comes not in the elements themselves, but rather in the Lord Jesus Christ and in knowing Him as our Lord and Savior. We need to treat the whole communion service as our sacred and holy worship of the Lord as the One who made all of this possible for us to know, praise and worship Him.

[charisbarak]

The balance comes to those who take it figuaratively simply when they reflect on Jesus & the actual act of his sacrifice for us. Keep in mind those descriptions which tell of how Jesus suffered for us. Maybe relecting back on the movie "The Passion." It's where our heart & mind are & God knows this--our spirit in touch with His. Even those who take it literally have to do this same reflecting prior to & during communion. Otherwise, it becomes just a snack....

[ekila]

Its therefore of utmost and absolute importance to let the Holy Spirit guide us in what we say, in our thoughts and what we confess as to what our thoughts are.

Pray that such discussions do not become a means of academic debates but a spirit led forum for us to encourage each other to understand the love of God for mankind.

Thank you Holy Spirit.

In Jesus name, help us, counsel us and comfort us.

Amen

[PCHRIS]

I think it all comes down to the teaching of the Lord's Table.
I have been to some churches where it seems to full on party mode and when it comes to communion they stop for a minute or two, take the elements and then go back to party mode.
The church today, (some) I beleive has lost the reverence for God and don't preach/teach about the power of the cross.
Not just once a year at Easter, but every day we should be teaching about the wondrous gift that is given on the cross for us.

Remember what 1Corinthians 11:24-30 warns us about taking communion too flippantly.

[Saved55s]

How can an extreme symbolic interpretation cause a person to have too little respect for the Lord's Supper and its elements?
Perhaps they may be focusing more on the elements than the signifigance of them. It doesn’t matter even if you have bread & water as opposed to bread & wine…when taken before the Lord in a reverent way, with a sincere heart, & with thanksgiving that is what’s important.

Where is the balance, do you think?
To respect the elements, but focusing what they are symbolic of, not what they are.

[Stan]

Q2. How can an extreme symbolic interpretation cause a person to have too little respect for the Lord's Supper and its elements? Where is the balance, do you think?



When we make to much symbolism out of the elements they lose there meaning to us. We forget that Christ gave us the instruction to Do This In Remembrance Of Me. We must always strive to keep Christ first place in all our worship because He was made head of the church but this is most important when taking part in communion or Lord's Supper.

The balance comes when we always put Christ first and remember why He instituted this Holy Scrament. He gave us the symbols that we were to us them to remember what He chose to do that our sins could be forgiven not just making an extra step in our church time. We need to think first of Jesus and then we can give proper place to the bread and wine.

[Elwood C O'Dell]

I believe that extreme symbolism could cause us not to have a deep enough appreciation for what the elements truly stand for. As to where the balance is, perhaps a part of maintaining a better balance, could or should start in my personal preparation for receiving the elements. The way I prepare my heart and soul before I ever enter into this time of worship with Him.

[Solus Christus]

I don't think there is anything else to add to the fine thoughts already stated here! In an effort to become 'more appealing' to the masses and grow churches, I'm afraid many churches may have watered down the message... As I mentioned in my last post - for me the Lord's Supper is an intimate time of reflection, confession, repentance, and conversation with our Creator; deeply personal and profound. Thank you all for your thoughts - what wonderful brothers and sisters I have!

[masika]

For a true believer of the Lord Jesus Christ we should take the Lord's supper more serious since it was Command which we have to follow.
The most important thing is one to live a Holy life by daily repentance.

[Jose Rivera]

Symbolism is defined as, "the symbolic meaning or meanings of a thing or event." (Wordsmyth Dictionary)

Jesus told us to, "Do this in remembrance of me." When I come to the time when I can participate in the Lord's Supper I am reminded of all He did. I am also reminded of all He endured. His body broken, His blood spilled, His death and ressurrection. That remembrance keeps me focused on the now, who I am through Him and what He made possible.

If we focus on what this symbolic act represents and not the symbols themselves I believe we act as Jesus purposed.