As Often

Umpteen years ago when I was in college, one of my classmates was from Iran, studying geology to return to the petroleum industry in his country.  Hafiza Rafsanjani was eager to learn about Americans, too, and accepted my invitation to meet us at church for a service.

It was an education for both of us as he came on a Sunday when we partook of the Lord’s Supper.

It is impossible to do so without beginning with the Baptist doctrine that the Lord’s Supper is considered closed communion.  And, without the explanation of Passover. Covering thousands of years of history without denigrating another’s religion, detracting from one’s own and not bothering those around takes a great deal of care.  It seemed to work.

At least Hafiza was no stranger to the story of Jewish rescue from Egypt and the subsequent annual Passover celebration of their release. He was also aware of the Christian belief that the Lord’s Supper was instituted in remembrance of Jesus’ final Passover, where He offered the bread and the cup with explanations.

Baptism following salvation was within his knowledge, too.  But the Baptist reliance on scripture was took a bit of explanation:

Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. (1 Corinthians 11:27-29 KJV)

To understand, or discern, the body reference, one can read Matthew 26, Mark 14 or Luke 22, or Paul’s described of what he delivered to the Corinthians:

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And 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. After 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. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26 KJV)

For me, it remains a closed communion.  Hospitality cannot require that we allow someone to participate unworthily, without explaining that our faith is built upon the truthfulness of God’s word and sharing that word with them. It has meaning in our faith.

I appreciate our Pastor’s choice of celebrating the Lord’s Supper the week before we celebrate His Resurrection.  His body was broken for us, His blood provided the new testament and our adoption as His children. As Paul, I understand that without the Resurrection:

For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:16-17 KJV)