Dipping, Dunking and Passing the Plate

Thoughts on Methods of Sharing Communion

Questions have been raised of late about our diverse ways of sharing in communion together, and why we’re diversifying. I’m happy to address these questions. What’s the difference between receiving the elements in the pews (the ‘traditional’ method), and going forward to receive the elements by taking the bread and dipping it in the cup, prior to ingesting (communion via ‘intinction’)? For some, the difference is one of personal taste, literally. Receiving the elements in the pews one at a time is preferred to being required to dip the bread in the cup and then eating soggy bread — a practice that some of us find very hard to swallow. For others, the difference is about comfort. Receiving communion in the pews as the Christian Reformed Church has usually done is more comfortable than needing to arise and go to the front to receive. As it stands now, we’re committed to engaging in both methods of receiving communion. Why? Certainly not to make people uncomfortable. Certainly not because it’s less organizationally complicated for those serving. But for expressive reasons. To partake of the Lord’s Supper is to partake of a meaning laden action. This is to say that when we celebrate the meal together we don’t just manifest and symbolically declare one Gospel truth, but several. Although always centred around God’s gracious sacrifice in Christ which solely effects our salvation, our participation at the communion table manifests our sin, repentance, and need for grace; God’s action and our response; the Kingdom of God to come as well as the Kingdom of God already here; our individual responsibility as well as our corporate identity as the one body of Christ; present realities and future hopes. Different ways of participating in the Lord’s Supper, then, can serve to highlight certain meanings of the sacrament better than other ways. Receiving the elements as we’re seated in the pews   superbly manifests our union in Christ as the one body and one family of Christ. This reality is signaled when, just like a family (at least traditionally!), we all partake of the elements at the same time, as a unit. The Triune God’s  sovereign action is also emphasized by this method as we are served right where we are. Some also find this method more conducive for sober reflection, because we can remain seated and still and reverent. It’s an appropriate posture as we remember the amazing sacrifice of our Lord. Receiving the elements up front by intinction serves to highlight the individual nature of salvation, whereby each of us are called upon to stand up and stand out, as it were, for and because of our faith in Christ. God’s action is still sovereign in this method, but our response is highlighted in our moving about. Some also find this method of communion more conducive for celebrating the stupendous joy inherent in receiving a gift of this magnitude: as we anticipate the rising up of our bodies, we do rise up to  receive a foretaste of the feast we will eat when we do  rise up! There is also something powerful in being able to watch person after person go forward to taste the grace of God not only in its  uniting power but in all of its particularity. In short, the reason we’ve decided at this time to do communion in two different ways (among other ways that could be done, like “in the round”) is because a celebration as rich in meaning as the sacrament of Holy Communion invites a rich diversity in modes of celebrating. Each mode will highlight a different aspect better than another mode. By God’s grace, this will facilitate our growth, sanctification, and continuing delight in the cosmic Christ, Lord over all.