What is the proper way to take the Lord’s Supper if you are taking it by yourself because usually I find that an elder is administering it after the service, and I thought proper verses were to be said while taking it?

Sincerely,
Solitary Contemplation

Dear Solitary Contemplation,

The Lord’s Supper isn’t intended to be taken alone.  Communion is intended to be taken on the first day of the week with the whole church (Acts 20:7).  In fact, the Corinthian church was condemned for not taking the Lord’s Supper in an orderly fashion (1 Cor 11:20-22).  The solution to the disarray of the Corinthian church was for them to patiently wait for one another before taking the communion and to do it in an orderly fashion as a group (1 Cor 11:33).

There are no specific verses that need to be said before taking the Lord’s Supper, but it is important that we reflect upon Christ’s death and examine ourselves before and while participating (1 Cor 11:26-29).

I have been reading through your archives and saw many people who asked about Christians keeping the Sabbath day.  Since Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament when He died on the cross, why do Christians still go to church on Sunday?  Many act like it is required, that you MUST go to church, but is that true?

Sincerely,
Do I Have To Go?

Dear Do I Have To Go,

Christians do not need to keep the Sabbath day… but the Sabbath isn’t Sunday.  The Sabbath was an Old Testament day of worship – it was on Saturday (Ex 16:26).  Christians are commanded by God to meet on Sunday.  We know this because there are two things that the church has to do every Sunday.

1. The church is supposed to gather together and take the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 11:18-20).
2. The church is supposed to take up a collection every Sunday to further God’s work (1 Cor 16:1-2).

While those two acts are commanded for Sunday and Sunday only, there are plenty of other things the church needs to gather to do.  The church needs to be praying together, studying God’s Word together (Acts 2:42), and singing praise to God on a regular basis (Col 3:16).  Heb 10:24-25 says that it is a sin for a christian to forsake the assembly.  Every christian needs to make it a clear and consistent priority to set Sunday aside to serve and worship God.  Sunday worship is a part of a christian’s duty.

Why are there some churches that do not believe in serving communion?

Sincerely,
Where’s The Bread?

Dear Where’s The Bread,

There are lots of churches that don’t serve communion because there are lots of churches that don’t serve Christ.  False teaching is rampant in this world, and not all churches are equal.  Peter warned that there would be lots of false teaching in this life (2 Pet 2:1-2).  John said that it is our job to test all churches and teachings against the Bible (1 Jn 4:1).

The Bible teaches that the Lord’s Supper is to be taken every Sunday (Acts 20:7).  Any church that doesn’t do that isn’t paying attention to the Scriptures.

Is there any particular order that church services are to occur in?  In some congregations I've been to, the Lord's Supper is at the end of the sermon, but most other congregations I have attended have it prior to the sermon.  Is there an example of how church services should be conducted down to this detail in the New Testament, or is this up to the leaders of the congregation?

Sincerely,
Out Of Order

Dear Out Of Order,

There is no particular order that services must occur in – only particular elements that need to be included.  The Bible gives us examples and commands for five different elements to the public worship.

1. Teaching/Preaching (1 Cor 4:17)
2. Singing (Eph 5:19)
3. Prayer (Acts 12:5)
4. Taking A Collection – Sunday only (1 Cor 16:1-2)
5. Lord’s Supper – Sunday only (Acts 20:7)

Of these five elements, two of them are specifically allowed only on Sundays.  The others can be done any time the brethren get together.  God is specific that these are the things He wants us to do, however, He never stipulates what order He wants them done in.  Every Bible command has specific elements and general elements to them.  For example, Noah was told to build the ark out of a specific type of wood – gopher wood (Gen 6:14) – but he was free to use whatever tools or procedures he liked to collect that wood because God wasn’t specific about that detail.  In the case of worship, God is specific on what elements He wants, but He leaves what time of day to meet, arrangement of pews, order of services, which songs to lead, and other details up to us.

The following is a follow up to the question “Almost Home Alone”:

 

Does it not also say, “Where one or two are gathered in My name, so shall I be there also”?  When you come together, you are assembled.  I do appreciate this site.  My friend (name omitted-AYP) showed it to me.  The first churches were small and met in homes.  In Alaska, sometimes there were only there or four people in our churches.

Sincerely,
Home Bound

Dear Home Bound,

Yes, it does say that where "two or three are gathered in My name, there shall I be" (Matt 18:20).  However, that is simply to point out that size doesn't matter for fellowship with Christ.  If you are saying that you and your mother are forming your own church in your home – that is one thing.  However, what you said was that you were unable to join the church on most Sundays but still considered yourself a member of that congregation.  Many congregations do meet in homes, and that is completely appropriate (Philemon 1:2).  However, your situation is not one of a congregation forming in a home… but of two un-well people who cannot attend and be with the church.  There is a distinction between those two situations.  Two sick and homebound individuals do not have the responsibility of taking the Lord’s Supper, but a church gathered together on the first day of the week does (1 Cor 11:20-21).