While researching this question, I stumbled across your web site. \u00a0What a wonderful amount of information!<\/p>\n
Do you believe it scriptural to offer the Lord’s Supper at an evening service in a separate room from the remainder of the congregation after the invitation but before a closing prayer? \u00a0My local congregation does this and I do not care for it; I am unaware of it being scriptural. \u00a0Just trying to get some other views.<\/p>\n
Thank you!<\/p>\n\t
Obviously personal preference doesn’t make a matter right or wrong. For that, we must appeal to God’s teaching. Ever since the decision was made years ago to have two services on Sunday to accommodate those who are forced to work on the weekend, Christians have debated how to handle the Lord’s Supper. Some only offer it at one service and others at both services. Some have everyone participate in the second serving, some have only those desiring it participate while the rest of the congregation sits with them, and still others offer it in another room where those desiring it can go and partake. While I have my views, I certainly don’t think I can settle the question.<\/p>\n
One thing that must be kept in mind is that Paul stated, “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<\/em>” (I Corinthians 10:16-17). An important aspect of the Lord’s Supper is that it is a covenant meal share with the Savior and shared with each other. The united partaking of the Lord’s Supper is to emphasize our unity. This is further seen in the verses leading up to the discussion of the Lord’s Supper. Notice the phrases: “you come together,” “when you come together as a church,” “when you meet together” (I Corinthians 11:17-20). The partaking of the Lord’s Supper is done by the church together. It is for this reason that I do not believe a group going off to another room is following the purpose laid out for Christ’s memorial meal. It is not being done by the church together.<\/p>\n\t Thank you very much for your response. I also wanted to say thank you for the wonderful Bible lessons on your congregation’s web site.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: While researching this question, I stumbled across your web site. \u00a0What a wonderful amount of information! Do you believe it scriptural to offer the Lord’s Supper at an evening service in a separate room from the remainder of the congregation after the invitation but before a closing prayer? \u00a0My local congregation does this and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[146],"class_list":["post-24070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-lords-supper"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":33438,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-a-short-service-be-held-in-a-shut-ins-home\/","url_meta":{"origin":24070,"position":0},"title":"Can a short service be held in a shut-in’s home?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 25, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a dilemma. Our elders have recently approved of an \"abbreviated service\" on Sunday afternoons at the home of one of our members who is home-bound and dying. This includes singing, prayer, and the Lord's Supper. They are encouraging other members to join them for this service. We\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":22322,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-small-group-meetings-in-place-of-the-sunday-evening-assembly-or-midweek-study-scriptural\/","url_meta":{"origin":24070,"position":1},"title":"Are small group meetings in place of the Sunday evening assembly or midweek study scriptural?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 4, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello. I appreciate your work and respect your knowledge of the Word. I have a question concerning the small group phenomenon in the Lord's church. Is there a scriptural basis for the small group to not assemble at the appointed times (mostly Sunday evening worship and Wednesday Bible study)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":42682,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-one-prayer-or-two-be-given-at-the-lords-supper\/","url_meta":{"origin":24070,"position":2},"title":"Should one prayer or two be given at the Lord’s Supper?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 1, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is it proper to give thanks for the bread and the cup in one prayer instead of two separate prayers? I have been searching for scriptural examples that support one position or the other or both. Answer: \"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread,\u00a0blessed\u00a0and broke it, and gave\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":60080,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-much-time-should-be-spent-during-the-lords-supper\/","url_meta":{"origin":24070,"position":3},"title":"How much time should be spent during the Lord’s Supper?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 26, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19514,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-the-lords-supper-be-only-taken-at-night\/","url_meta":{"origin":24070,"position":4},"title":"Should the Lord’s Supper be only taken at night?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 21, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What is the Bible's answer to the controversy about the time the Lord's Supper should be taken on the first day of the week? Should it be only at night or any time upon the first day of the week? Answer: I know of no controversy regarding what time\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37448,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-children-be-allowed-to-eat-the-leftovers-from-the-lords-supper\/","url_meta":{"origin":24070,"position":5},"title":"Should children be allowed to eat the leftovers from the Lord’s Supper?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I hope you will answer this: Following the last service on Sunday we clean up the communion service plates for the fruit of the vine and the \"loaf\" in a small room within the building. In the past, the children have been allowed to drink the grape juice remaining\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24070"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24070\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Response:<\/h2>\n