San Angelo District Lay Leader
What’s the Big Deal About Holy Communion?
By Wade Powell
I have been asked on several occasions why I’m so “big” on taking Holy Communion. I’ve had people tell me that taking Communion too often makes it less special. I’ve even had a few ask me, “Are you trying to be Catholic or something?” So, with this article, I want to address why I’m so big on Holy Communion.
I’ll be honest, a few years ago I was content to take Holy Communion once a month. After all, I really hadn’t paid much attention to what we prayed during The Great Thanksgiving. I didn’t look upon Holy Communion as anything other than a ritual. A ritual in which we remembered the Last Supper. It wasn’t until I began to truly study scripture and hunt for intimate knowledge of Jesus that I began to see Holy Communion as something more. A Sacrament instituted by Christ in which he empowers us to live our convictions as Christians through the divine gift of his actual, real presence in the bread and cup. The scriptures teach us that the Lord’s Supper is much more than a ritual. Jesus himself, along with the Apostles rebuked empty rituals and laws of man, but they observed the Lord’s Supper and shared this Holy Mystery with churches and communities they touched. And through the traditions and liturgies of our church and ancient churches, we see that the Lord’s Supper has been observed and cherished as a means of connecting with Jesus Christ. Througout the centuries, Holy Communion has been a central part of worship in which we are given the opportunity to take the presence of the risen Christ into our being. It’s not a magic act, it’s not just some words that Jesus said long ago as 
a metaphor, it is a promise that Jesus made to his disciples and to us.
In his compilation of books titled, The Imitation of Christ, Thomas Kempis a monk that lived in the 1400s notes that Holy Communion should not be omitted lightly. His fourth book in the Imitation of Christ is devoted to exploring the Sacrament. It is a means of grace that we are able to feel in a very physical way. Kempis believes, as do I, that Holy Communion strengthens us and helps us to resist temptation. He warns that casually forsaking Communion is a tool of the devil to slowly lure us away from Christ. I believe that his interpretation of casually forsaking Communion also applies to a watering down of our understanding of Communion, which can lead to a less prominent role in our lives, thereby weakening our spiritual 
immune system.
Understanding the Mystery of Holy Communion is not an easy thing, nor do I pretend to fully understand. I cannot explain how God’s presence is in the bread and cup. It is this mystery that I believe many people have a hard time accepting. Do I truly believe that when we ask God to, “Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the Body and Blood of Christ,” that God will do anything less than what he has promised and what we have asked? I have complete faith that He will truly be present in the elements of bread and wine. I give thanks and eagerly accept the glorious gift. I’ll admit, the bread still tastes like bread, and the wine still tastes like wine (or juice), but the nourishment goes far beyond carbohydrates and antioxidants. How can a baby be Baptized if it doesn’t know what it’s doing? By Wade Powell I’ve heard people say they want to be re-baptized when they change churches or denominations. Or that they don’t really remember being baptized as an infant and want to do it again. Well, that is an admirable thing to want, but the reality is: God’s grace is irrevocable. God doesn’t take away your membership card when you change churches, or because you have gotten older. Once you are Baptized, you ARE Baptized! If you get to the point at which you feel you must be re-baptized, congratulations, you are on the road to confirming your true Baptism. Please understand that in the United Methodist Church, we understand Baptism to be a Sacrament. That is, an act of God in which he makes his presence known and active in our lives. Some other protestant denominations such as Baptists, Church of Christ, and many non-denominational congregations adhere to Baptism as an ordinance in which the one being baptized is the primary player in Baptism. So, if Baptism is an ordinance, something a believer does, I can see the importance of having the believer know what they are doing. But as a Sacrament, something God does for us, it is irrelevant as to the age or understanding of the Baptism. It is then the duty of the parents, congregation, and church to nuture the one baptized into accepting and responding to the grace that God has given them.
More info: This Holy Mystery: A United Methodist Understanding of Holy Communion pdf document
I titled this article with the above question, because I believe as it is answered, we are further addressing a more complete understanding of Baptism, whether it be infant or adult. First, let’s start with the premise that a person cannot do something if they don’t know what they are doing. I would have to say that is true. The great part is that the person being Baptized isn’t “doing” anything. They are receiving a gift of grace. God is doing the “doing.” In the United Methodist Church, we believe that Baptism is complete when the person that receives the Baptism responds or confirms their Baptism. In other words, Baptism is something God does, and confirmation is something we do. There is no reason that infants should not be Baptized. Do you think God will only act on Baptisms that are done at the point of confirmation as in an adult Baptism. Do you believe that God is willing and able to bestowe his grace upon everyone, including infants, even though it may take ten or more years to confirm and respond to that grace? I do.
More info: By Water & the Spirit: A United Methodist Understanding of Baptism pdf document
