Holy Communion and Inclusiveness
This rainbow cup and chalice are used during Holy Communion at Dearborn First UMC. The rainbow, a sign of God’s covenant with Noah and humankind, is also a reminder of our commitment to inclusiveness as a Reconciling Congregation.
Photo Credit: Kirstin Karoub
By Kirstin Karoub
UPDATED JUNE 2, 2023
This Sunday our congregation will celebrate Graduate Recognition Sunday during National Pride Month. It is also Communion Sunday - the day set aside once a month to practice an important sacrament shared by all Christians, all over the world.
By its very nature, the idea of a world full of people, united by a common act as one body feels very connected. Very unifying. Very inclusive.
Holy Communion is an act of community.
“Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”
(1 Corinthians 10:17)
The Lord’s Supper is modeled after the last supper Jesus had with His disciples in the upper room the night before his crucifixion. Jesus spent many meals in fellowship with others, and so we, too, are in communion with God, and with each other.
But what if we break down that single act in each of its locations? Each Christian congregation, in their own place of worship, in their own pew or chair… What does that connected, unified, inclusive body look like?
I remember as a confirmand, learning about the different Christian denominations. I remember visiting an Orthodox church, a Roman Catholic Church, a Lutheran Church. And I remember being surprised that as a baptized Christian, I could not take Holy Communion in any of them. I remember learning from a friend how excited they were to have their First Communion - something I had already been doing my entire young life.
Every denomination has a different consideration set for what it means to take Holy Communion.
Holy Communion in the United Methodist Church is a Sacrament to be experienced by ALL who want to know Christ.
But these different criteria of different denominations can become exclusive, or at the very least, intimidating. I experienced exclusion based on my religious background. Others are excluded even further, made to feel unworthy based on whom they love or how they identify.
In the United Methodist Church, Holy Communion (also called The Lord’s Supper, The Eucharist) is a sacred act of worship, initiated by Jesus at the Last Supper, and through which we come to know God’s grace. It is the time when we remember Christ’s sacrifice for us, and we experience God’s presence. We are fed by Christ’s spirit, and are renewed to go do Christ’s work in the world.
Holy Communion in the United Methodist Church is an Open Table.
What is meant by “Open Table?” There are no requirements based on church membership, baptismal status, minimum age, or any other criteria. As is often quoted in our congregation: “Whether black, white, gay, straight, baptized, or unbaptized, knowledgeable about God, or still questioning… all are welcome.”
The communion liturgy of the United Methodist Church invites "all who love Jesus, who earnestly repent of their sin, and seek to live in peace with one another." While these ARE conditions, each person taking Holy Communion knows what’s in their heart. No public proclamation is required prior to partaking, other than through the liturgy itself, read together as a congregation, one body in Christ.
Just as somebody can take part in Holy Communion without being questioned, so, too, may they abstain from participating without judgment. Holy Communion is not a requirement in the United Methodist Church.
How does one take communion?
There are many different methods across the Christian universe. Historically, Dearborn First UMC has used the intinction method whereby a small piece of bread is broken from the loaf and dipped into the cup.
The whole loaf of bread represents the church as a united body in Christ, and when it is broken and shared, it represents the fellowship in that body. Likewise, the use of one cup is a symbol of Christian unity, but many churches also use small single-serve communion cups (particularly now during the COVID pandemic).
Dr. Thomas B. Welch - dentist and United Methodist
Grape juice vs wine: another form of inclusiveness.
In the United Methodist Church, wine is not used in Holy Communion. Although we refer to the “bread and wine” in terminology, it is symbolic. Instead, unfermented grape juice is offered.
Are you a fan of grape juice? Then you have a Methodist to thank! In response to the temperance movement in the late 19th century, and aligned with the Wesleyan view on drunkenness, Dr. Thomas B. Welch of New Jersey, himself a Methodist, worked through many failed attempts to develop an unfermented grape juice to be used in Holy Communion. From there, Welch’s grape juice was born.
But using unfermented grape juice was, and is, about more than just pressure from temperance societies. Methodist church leaders recognized that drinking wine during communion either had a negative impact on recovering alcoholics, or barred them from participating at all. By offering grape juice, everybody can participate in the Lord’s Supper - including our children and youth, as well as those who abstain from alcohol for whatever reason.
We all have a place at the table.
Our faith community of Dearborn First UMC values diversity, inclusion, and affirmation of all people. It is only fitting that we recognize the ways in which our Holy Communion promotes inclusiveness, as well. Our United Methodist Book of Worship says, “all those who intend to lead a Christian life, together with their children..” are invited and welcomed into this communal act of sharing, giving thanks, and experiencing God’s grace in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Just as Jesus dined with people from all walks of life, as we come together as one body in Christ, welcome graduates, and affirm that we are all children of God, perfectly created and loved, may we recognize that there is a place at the Lord’s table for everybody.
Sources:
Iovino, Joe, An open table: How United Methodists understand communion, http://ee.umc.org/what-we-believe/an-open-table-how-united-methodists-understand-communion
Why do most Methodist churches serve grape juice instead of wine for Holy Communion?, http://ee.umc.org/what-we-believe/why-do-most-methodist-churches-serve-grape-juice-instead-of-wine
Iovino, Joe, Methodist History: Communion and Welch's Grape Juice, https://www.umc.org/en/content/communion-and-welchs-grape-juice
This blog post originally appeared on October 1, 2021 in preparation for World Communion Sunday.
