 | The Reverend Doctor Cathy Northrup was born in Ft. Meade, MD, and was raised in a variety of places in the United State and Germany, as her father was in Counter Intelligence with the Army. She graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, with a double major in English and Religion. She graduated from Georgetown Law Center in Washington, DC, and practiced law with the Federal Reserve Board for a number of years before attending Union Theological Seminaryin Richmond, VA. She graduated from Union, and served several churches in North and South Carolina, at the same time obtaining her Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, NJ. Dr. Northrup is currently the Pastor/Head of Staff of First Presbyterian Church, Wichita, KS. She is married and has two black Labrador dogs who were rescued from abusive situations. You can contact Dr. Northrup at cnorthrup@firstpresbywichita.org or by phone at (316) 263-0248, ext. 26. |
Religion
2009-10-01 09:07:00
How often should one receive communion?
Question: My question is about taking the Lord’s Supper (communion). In 1 Cor 11:23-26 St. Paul quotes Jesus: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” Does this mean to do it “often,” or “as often as you do it?” I am aware that Catholics are encouraged to take communion daily, Christian churches weekly, Baptists only every three months, and some churches take it rarely or never. I would appreciate your insight on what this Scripture really means.
Answer: You ask about the Lord’s Supper; specifically, you ask about the interpretation of a particular Scripture, and you also ask how often the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is and should be celebrated. I am a Presbyterian (PCUSA) minister of Word and Sacrament; let me answer the latter question first. Our PCUSA Directory for Worship states the following: “The Lord’s Supper is to be observed…..regularly and frequently enough to be recognized as integral to the Service for the Lord’s Day.” The church I serve celebrates the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of each month, as well as on other occasions such as Maundy Thursday and Christmas Eve.
Now, to the Scripture. It is important to note first the context of the Scripture. Paul is speaking to the Christians in Corinth in the context of abuses of the Lord’s Supper. Persons who arrive early are going ahead with the meal without waiting for the gathered community. In that context, Paul is reminding them that the meal is to be a remembrance of Jesus, and a proclamation of what God as Jesus has done for humanity, not simply a meal to satisfy their appetites. He is also making the point that when they celebrate the Lord’s Supper, they should do so as a community, not as a collection of individuals. So, when Paul speaks of Jesus as saying “as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,” he is simply saying that each time they celebrate the Lord’s Supper, they are to remember and proclaim Jesus. He is not trying to tell them how often to celebrate it.
