Are there rules for how the Lord’s Supper is to be conducted?

Answer:

One of the flaws of the Pharisees was their tendency to add additional rules and regulations to the requirements of the Old Testament. This, despite God stating, "Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:32). Men don't know everything. They rarely consider all the ramifications. Thus, it wasn't surprising that the Pharisee's extra rules created conflicts with God's rules.

"Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 'Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.' And He answered and said to them, 'Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, "Honor your father and mother," and , "He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death." But you say, "Whoever says to his father or mother, 'Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,' he is not to honor his father or his mother." And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men." ' " (Matthew 15:1-9).

There is nothing wrong with kneeling during prayer. Peter did so (Acts 9:40). But it becomes something entirely else when you require that it must be done when God did not state this. What about the person in a wheelchair or someone unable to kneel? Will it be claimed that the person is sinning because this added rule is not followed? "If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" (which all refer to things destined to perish with use) --in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence" (Colossians 2:20-23).

We partake of the unleavened bread followed by the fruit of the vine because that is the order Jesus established it (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-25). We also take note that Jesus offered a blessing before the partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine.

We partake of the Lord's Supper together because it emphasizes the unity of the believers. "Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread" (I Corinthians 10:16-17). "So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another" (I Corinthians 11:33).

Finally, how we partake of the Lord's Supper is to done in a manner that is respectful of the sacrifice that the Lord made on our behalf (I Corinthians 11:27-29).

These are the things God requires of us. If a church decides to read a passage, present a short discussion on what Jesus' death means, or sing a song prior to partaking of the Lord's Supper in order to help its members focus on what they are doing, there is nothing wrong with the practice. But we must remember that it is a choice and not a requirement. If someone chooses to do these extra things in a different order or not at all, no sin has occurred.