Communion During the Christmas Eve Service?

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

Now I am part of the grinch-Puritan patrol when it comes to things Nativity, but I have noticed a number of posts on FB and Twitter this morning advertising Christmas Eve services and the like. However I have also noticed many of them noting they will be serving the Lord's Supper (mostly PCA and ARP). Now I grew up in the PC(USA) and we had multiple Christmas Eve services every year, but I can never remember having the Lord's Supper present.

Is this something new or did I just miss this when I was growing up?

 

[Mindaboo]

I've never heard of that. Our PCA church has a Lessons and Carols service but no communion.

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

Evidently I have a bad memory. I asked this exact same question on the same day last year.

http://www.puritanboard.com/f67/christmas-eve-communion-services-77237/

 

[Andres]

It's your new annual tradition! You'll have to ask this every Christmas Eve from now on and make sure that long after you're gone, your kids and grandkids continue to ask the question every Christmas Eve.

 

[Unoriginalname]

I do not know of PCAs in my area serving communion on Christmas Eve, and it would seem rather imprudent to do so since it would be impossible to properly fence the table with all the visitors Christmas Eve services draw.

 

[au5t1n]

Having mass at special services -- along with the appointment of said special services -- is the traditional practice of the Romanist church, and no doubt borrowed in varying degrees by Protestant churches which observe these days.

 

[Hamalas]

Never seen that before.

 

[Jack K]

I've always been part of churches that had either a Christmas Day or Christmas Eve service, but never one with Communion. A service with that many visitors present makes a poor occasion for Communion if you care about the integrity of the meal.

If more Presbyterians are doing it, I would wonder if it reflects a relaxed attitude about fencing the table as well as borrowing a popular element from high church traditions.

 

[JimmyH]

The OPC congregation in Lake Worth, FL, of which I am a member is observing the Lord's Supper on January 5th, the Sunday following new year's day. We are not having a Christmas eve service.

 

[Andres]

Having mass at special services -- along with the appointment of said special services -- is the traditional practice of the Romanist church, and no doubt borrowed in varying degrees by Protestant churches which observe these days.

This is what I was thinking as well - I remember being dragged to mass every Christmas Eve when I was a kid in the RCC.

 

[jwithnell]

It is common in my parents' Lutheran Church. My church has communion during an evening service in December, a simple, quiet time of worship that stands in sharp contrast to the razzle-dazzle of the secular celebration.

 

[SolaSaint]

We just came from church tonight and we did have the Lord's Supper. We do this every year with a candle lighting. It was a wonderful service. We are SBC by the way.

 

[Elizabeth]

We didn't have communion last night, but we do this morning.

 

[johnc]

Our church (PCA) had a Christmas Eve service with communion last night. It has been doing this for at least five years. Yes, there were a lot of visitors. The pastor 'fenced' the table by asking all who did not name Christ as their Lord and Savior to not partake. Our church really goes all out for Chrismas: wreaths, garland, advent candles, Christmas tree, nativity. It weighs on me and my wife because we don't observe Christmas. However, it is really the only reformed church available in the area to our knowledge, so we don't really have many options.

 

[Elizabeth]

Yes, there were a lot of visitors. The pastor 'fenced' the table by asking all who did not name Christ as their Lord and Savior to not partake.

I think that is why we don't have communion on Christmas Eve...plenty more visitors than at the Christmas day service. Our church fences very strongly.

 

[Mindaboo]

Evidently I have a bad memory. I asked this exact same question on the same day last year.

I wonder if any of us gave the same answers on the same day.

 

[yeutter]

regulative principle and Christmas

We didn't have communion last night, but we do this morning.

I do not know about current practice in the Roman Church, but historically it was required that one partake of Mass on Christmas.
The Anglican and Lutheran churches retained all practices of the Western Church that could not be proved to be contrary to the Word of God. Therefore in the Anglican, Lutheran, and Methodist [an apostate schism from Anglicanism] celebrate Christmas and normally celebrate the Supper of our Lord on Christmas day.
The Dutch and German Reformed Churches, which follow the Church Order of Dordt, celebrated and worshiped on Christmas. That Church Order says, "The Lord's Supper shall be administered, once every two months, wherever possible; and it will be edifying that it take place at Easter, Pentecost and Christmas where the circumstances of the Church permit. ..." A similar practice is found among the Hungarian Reformed.

It is my experience that liberal Presbyterians have frequently trotted right along behind their Methodist friends and include the Lord's Supper in their Christmas Eve service and then do not hold any Christmas Day service.

 

[Edward]

It's my recollection that we used to celebrate the Lord's Supper at the late Christmas eve service but not at the early 'family' service. When my daughter got old enough for us to again attend the late service, it was no longer celebrated. I'm not sure if the change (if my memory is correct) was theological or logistical.