# The Lords Supper...One Cup or Many?



## JoeRe4mer (Dec 20, 2006)

I am aware that any discussion on the issue of sacraments can degenerate into an all out debate. However it is not my purpose to start any debates I simply would like to know where everyone stands on the administration of the elements. Should it be real wine or grape juice? Should there be one cup or many? Should it be leavend bread or unleavend? Again this is more of a survey, NOT a debate. I'm just trying to see what various Churches practice when they administer the elements and why...thats all.


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## Scott Bushey (Dec 20, 2006)

We use real wine and little single serving cups. I believe the issue of many cups or one is secondary to the rationale behind the supper. As well, I don't believe it would be wrong to use grape juice.


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## jaybird0827 (Dec 20, 2006)

JoeRe4mer said:


> I am aware that any discussion on the issue of sacraments can degenerate into an all out debate. However it is not my purpose to start any debates I simply would like to know where everyone stands on the administration of the elements. Should it be real wine or grape juice? Should there be one cup or many? Should it be leavend bread or unleavend? Again this is more of a survey, NOT a debate. I'm just trying to see what various Churches practice when they administer the elements and why...thats all.


 
You'll find plenty of discussion about this around here. Our church practices a common cup, and it's always wine. The bread may be leavened or unleavened, but they do everything they can to make sure it's from the same loaf, and we always break off the portion as it is passed. I don't know what could picture union and communion better than that.

Now that that's done, and I don't want to threadjack your post, but has anyone said anything to you about a signature? You should create one as soon as possible to include with your posts before you get yelled at by a moderator.


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## Casey (Dec 20, 2006)

My congregation's practice is interesting because (I believe) it's transitory. We celebrate Communion twice a month . . .

_First Sunday of month, morning service:_ Little cups, both wine and juice available, sitting in pews, leavened bread. (Original practice.)

_Third Sunday of month, evening service:_ One cup, only wine available, sitting at one table, leavened bread. (Recently added practice, probably about a year ago.)

I say transitory because there might be changes in the (nearer) future about our manner of celebrating.


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## MrMerlin777 (Dec 20, 2006)

I prefer wine from a common cup, and unleavend bread from one loaf. 

That said, no church I've ever attended on a regular basis has done it that way. Only when I visit my dad's church (Lutheran), or at times I've visited conservative Anglican churches have I seen it done that way.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 20, 2006)

jaybird0827 said:


> You'll find plenty of discussion about this around here. Our church practices a common cup, and it's always wine. The bread may be leavened or unleavened, but they do everything they can to make sure it's from the same loaf, and we always break off the portion as it is passed. I don't know what could picture union and communion better than that.



 Our church follows the same practice (quarterly). (All but one congregation in the PRC uses wine rather than grape juice, to my knowledge.) 

This previous thread (and there are others) may be of interest.


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## NaphtaliPress (Dec 20, 2006)

We used to have wine; but have recently reverted to grape juice/or denatured wine, I am told because we have several recovering acholics in the congregation now. We also no longer sit but stand at the Lord's table, more like the early church, less like the Presbyterian. We still come to table (would be kinda silly to be standing in the pews I guess....).


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## SRoper (Dec 20, 2006)

We use many loaves of leavened bread and grape juice from many cups. I would prefer wine be used, but it is not an essential. I think it would take a rather large loaf to feed our congregation.


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## Staphlobob (Dec 21, 2006)

Communion EVERY Sunday (along with Tuesday and Thursday where we also have laying on of hands and anointing with oil). 

Common cup AND shot glasses. 

One loaf AND individual wafers.

Wine for everyone, grape juice (unconsecrated) for children and others.

The new, smaller but orthodox, congregation starting up in the summer of '07 will continue the same weekly practice, sans grape juice and individual cups.


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## pilgrim3970 (Jan 5, 2007)

JoeRe4mer said:


> I am aware that any discussion on the issue of sacraments can degenerate into an all out debate. However it is not my purpose to start any debates I simply would like to know where everyone stands on the administration of the elements. Should it be real wine or grape juice? Should there be one cup or many? Should it be leavend bread or unleavend? Again this is more of a survey, NOT a debate. I'm just trying to see what various Churches practice when they administer the elements and why...thats all.



We use wine from a single cup. The bread is unleavened (the little round wafers). Ideally, we would have Holy Communion every Lord's Day and feast day but at the moment, we have a presbyter visiting our mission twice a month. We kneel at the communion rail to partake but as is stated in our Prayer Book: 



> Whereas it is ordained in this Office for the Administration of the Lord’s Supper, that the Communicants should receive the same kneeling; (which order is well meant, for a signification of our humble and grateful acknowledgement of the benefits of Christ therein given to all worthy Receivers, and for the avoiding of such profanation and disorder in the Holy Communion, as might other- wise ensue) yet, lest the same kneeling should by any persons, either out of ignorance and infirmity, or out of malice and obstinacy, be misconstrued and depraved; It is hereby declared, That thereby no adoration is intended, or ought to be done, either unto the Sacramental Bread or Wine there bodily received, or unto any Corporal Presence of Christ’s natural Flesh and Blood. For the Sacramental Bread and Wine remain still in their very natural substances, and therefore may not be adored; (for that were Idolatry, to be abhorred of all faithful Christians) and the natural Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ are in Heaven, and not here; it being against the truth of Christ’s natural Body to be at one time in more places than one.​




I have been in congregations (not Anglican) where grape juice and wine were both used in individual cups and matzo crackers used for the bread. Not to be tacky but I found the crumbled up matzo cracker thing distasteful because of the mess it tended to make.


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## AV1611 (Jan 5, 2007)

JoeRe4mer said:


> I am aware that any discussion on the issue of sacraments can degenerate into an all out debate. However it is not my purpose to start any debates I simply would like to know where everyone stands on the administration of the elements. Should it be real wine or grape juice? Should there be one cup or many? Should it be leavend bread or unleavend? Again this is more of a survey, NOT a debate. I'm just trying to see what various Churches practice when they administer the elements and why...thats all.



1. Wine
2. One cup
3. Unleaven bread


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## AV1611 (Jan 5, 2007)

pilgrim3970 said:


> We use wine from a single cup. The bread is unleavened (the little round wafers). Ideally, we would have Holy Communion every Lord's Day and feast day but at the moment, we have a presbyter visiting our mission twice a month. We kneel at the communion rail to partake but as is stated in our Prayer Book:



We only use the wafers if the vicar fogets to buy some bread. Kneeling at the communion rail... Only at our 8am service...which incidently is the one I attend


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## Davidius (Jan 5, 2007)

Staphlobob said:


> Communion EVERY Sunday (along with Tuesday and Thursday where we also have laying on of hands and anointing with oil).
> 
> Common cup AND shot glasses.
> 
> ...



Where is this? Your profile says 'looking for a church' and you didn't mention in the post so I was just wondering.


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## Staphlobob (Jan 5, 2007)

CarolinaCalvinist said:


> Where is this? Your profile says 'looking for a church' and you didn't mention in the post so I was just wondering.



I'm in Baltimore. 

Originally ordained Roman, I became a (liberal) Lutheran. But was converted in 1994 and have since become Reformed. The ELCA is apostate and remaining with them is not a possibility.

So now some of us are leaving Lutheranism but are not sure precisely *where* we want to go. We'll probably be independent for a while. They want to remain liturgical (liturgical year, some kind of vestments, altar - so I'm looking at the REC's latest BCP). But I'll be sure to put them through a study of the WCF, and to a lesser intensity, the 39 Articles, and then see what happens. (But episcopalianism is not an option for me.)


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## Davidius (Jan 5, 2007)

Staphlobob said:


> I'm in Baltimore.
> 
> Originally ordained Roman, I became a (liberal) Lutheran. But was converted in 1994 and have since become Reformed. The ELCA is apostate and remaining with them is not a possibility.
> 
> So now some of us are leaving Lutheranism but are not sure precisely *where* we want to go. We'll probably be independent for a while. They want to remain liturgical (liturgical year, some kind of vestments, altar - so I'm looking at the REC's latest BCP). But I'll be sure to put them through a study of the WCF, and to a lesser intensity, the 39 Articles, and then see what happens. (But episcopalianism is not an option for me.)



Ah I see. I was just wondering out of curiosity which church it was that you were describing above.


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## raekwon (Feb 23, 2007)

We recently (ie: about a month ago) switched to intinction -- tearing off from a common loaf of leavened bread and dipping it into a common cup of wine -- from passing plates of communion wafers and individual cups of grape juice. People get up from their seats and partake as they're "led" . . . the pastors are also available to pray for people, whether they're communing or not.

I love the change, personally, but my wife is another story. She can't stand the idea of 1) everyone else's hands touching the same bread and 2) bread crumbs floating around in the wine after a while.  For this reason, we're usually among the first few people in line.


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## Ambrose (Feb 23, 2007)

Wine in individual cups, unleavened bread.


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## SRoper (Feb 23, 2007)

raekwon said:


> I love the change, personally, but my wife is another story. She can't stand the idea of 1) everyone else's hands touching the same bread and 2) bread crumbs floating around in the wine after a while.  For this reason, we're usually among the first few people in line.



She would probably be aghast at our evening service where one can choose either intinction or drinking from the common cup.


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## etexas (Feb 23, 2007)

Well this will be a BIG surprise coming from me............consecrated wafers and consecrated wine in a silver or gold plaited chalice, while kneeling at the altar rail.


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## MrMerlin777 (Feb 23, 2007)

I follow Jesus said:


> Well this will be a BIG surprise coming from me............consecrated wafers and consecrated wine in a silver or gold plaited chalice, while kneeling at the altar rail.



(In best Gilbert Godfried voice) Now there's a suprise! I think I'm gonna have a heart attack and die from that suprise!!  

I've taken communion this way a bit when I attend my dad's church back home. (He's Lutheran)


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## Romans922 (Feb 23, 2007)

RPW - I think wine should be used. I also think a common cup and bread loaf or common unleavened bread be used.

However, culture has played a huge role in this and the common cup has become somewhat downplayed due to our 'germ fixation'. But I am not a clean person like everyone else so...


If I were to start a debate, I would say that the celebration of the Lord's Supper has become very individualized.


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## MrMerlin777 (Feb 23, 2007)

Romans922 said:


> RPW - I think wine should be used. I also think a common cup and bread loaf or common unleavened bread be used.
> 
> However, culture has played a huge role in this and the common cup has become somewhat downplayed due to our 'germ fixation'. But I am not a clean person like everyone else so...
> 
> ...



I believe that the REC actually did a "Chalice study" on bacterial contamination of the common cup. My understanding was that the chance of infection from the common cup was determined to be very low indeed. Not sure if a similar test was or will be done regarding possible viral contamination. However, from what I've read, the chance of being infected from the most common bacteria one would find in the human mouth is minute at best.


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## MrMerlin777 (Feb 23, 2007)

Here's the REC link.

http://rechurch.org/recus/?MIval=/recus/bacteria.pdf


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