How much time should be spent during the Lord’s Supper?

Question:

Since COVID, the congregation I am attending began using the individual prepacked communion sets handed out in sandwich bags before we walk into worship. The men leading communion begin with comments, scripture, and prayer before we partake of the bread. After 30 to 15 seconds of silence, the leader offers another prayer, and we drink the juice. The members then place the used communion containers back into the plastic bags which creates noise as the congregation is rather large.

I feel this process does not allow enough time for me to reflect on the great sacrifice Christ made for me and to offer my prayers of thanks and gratitude. Please note, I'm certain the men leading communion are doing the best they can and may be uncomfortable with a longer period of silence since this is a new way of leading communion.

Is it normal to need more quiet time during the communion service?

Do you know how other churches using the prepacked communion sets are handling the time allotted to communion?

I look forward to your ideas on this subject.

Answer:

We stopped using the prepackaged communion sets a long time ago. We prefer the symbolism of breaking the bread in partaking of the Lord's Supper. (And the taste of the prepackaged sets was not great.)

There are no rules in the Scriptures regarding how long the Lord's Supper is to take. To impose rules is to go beyond what God commanded. Each congregation will have to decide what works best in their situation.

You can always request that more time be allotted but realize that this is your preference and not something demanded by the Lord. Since it is a preference, our obligation to the brethren is to work together and not make it a point of contention. "For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's" (Romans 14:7-8).

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