Covenant Renewal Worship and The Lord's Supper

[Beth Ellen Nagle]

I have been too thankful and am out of thanks for the day. I appreciate the feedback here today. I have further questions/thoughts but will wait to see how this thread pans out later today (if it does). I hope Mr. Winzer swings by. I would like his thoughts expanded a bit more.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

I really don't know about the English groups; but the Scots they had minimum goals in their books of order. On Scottish and Reformation era practice, here is what Stewart of Pardovan says in his work (which I've posted before, see linked thread below) which was essentially an early book of practice for Scotland.

23. In the manuscript acts of Assembly, there is an act, December 1562, appointing the communion to be celebrate four times a-year in towns, and twice a year in country parishes; yea, it was administered then once a month, as may be seen by the old discipline bound in with the old psalms, and forms for prayer in Mr. Knox’s time. And by the 14th article, cap. 12 of the French church discipline, it is recommended to their national synod, to give directions about the more frequent celebration of the Lord’s Supper, and their custom then was four times a-year: but our acts of Assembly 1638, sess. 23 act 12, act 19 of Assembly 1701, and Directory for worship, do only recommend the frequent celebration of the Lord’s Supper; but how often is to be determined by the kirk-sessions, as they shall find most convenient for the people, their comfort and edification. These recommendations seem to be treated with little or no regard among us; for as yet, so far as I know, not one parish hath celebrate it once more than ordinary upon their account. I am sure, if they would have it but once a-year, yet parishes in the neighbourhood may so correspond, as to have it in that bounds all the months of the year, which will supply the want of its frequency in one parish, at least unto such as may well travel unto their neighbour churches.
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Frequency has come up before; but not in the context of covenant renewal; so maybe we should try not to hijack the original intent of the thread. Here is a previous thread.

At the time the Directory was drafted, the Independents had communion weekly; the English Presbyterians monthly, and the Scots quarterly or less. The directions are geared specifically for frequent and infrequent observance.

Chris,

In all your research associated with the time and people of the Westminster Assembly, do you know the causes of these pretty uniform trends? Why was it so uniform that the supper was had "as often as possible" for the Independents, and yet only monthly for the Presbyterians?

Edit
Not to exclude anyone else from answering. If anyone has insight into this, I'd love to hear.

 

[KMK]

Here is some insight from Rev Winzer from this thread a year or two ago: http://www.puritanboard.com/f67/covenant-renewal-worship-21106/#post265229

Covenant renewal worship tries to introduce an element of the history of salvation into the order of salvation. On the basis of the same method Romanists teach the Mass as a sacrifice. And if anyone has studied covenant renewal in Scripture they will know that sacrifice is part and parcel of it. The Lord's supper is not a sacrifice, but a commemoration of a sacrifice. We do not renew covenant in worship but renew our commitment to the covenant of grace as ratified by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[MW]

Are you saying that understanding communion in the context of "covenant renewal" necessarily implies the belief that the supper is a "bloodless sacrifice"?

Yes; it is either implied or stated. If the worship service is a renewal of the covenant of grace, then the parts of worship are re-enactments of redemptive events rather than commemorations of them. The Lord's supper is intrinsically tied to the sacrifice of Christ; when the Lord's supper is regarded as a part of a covenant renewal ceremony it is turned into a bloodless re-enactment of Christ's sacrifice, and is no longer celebrated as a mere commemoration of that sacrifice.

I recall reading over at Greenbaggins that some were saying the WCF holds to covenant renewal in worship but it was not clear to me what the difference is and some were inquiring after that distinction.

The Confession (27:2) states clearly that in the Lord's supper there is "only a commemoration of that one offering up of Himself, by Himself, upon the cross, once for all." The Westminster Larger Catechism speaks of the communicants renewing their covenant with God in the time of the administration of the Lord's supper (answer 174). The Puritans were firm believers in personal covenanting with God, a practice which has sadly been all but forgotten today. There is no indication in the slightest that the Westminster divines conceived the celebration of the Lord's supper as a ceremony in which the covenant of grace is renewed by a response of faith and repentance.

 

[Beth Ellen Nagle]

Ok, so far I am seeing a difference between renewing covenant with God and renewing the covenant of grace in worship. I take it the FV emphasizes the latter? Do they specifically say that covenant renewal in worship is renewing the covenant of grace?

I appreciate the feedback on this. It is a matter of pressing concern on my heart.

 

[MW]

Do they specifically say that covenant renewal in worship is renewing the covenant of grace?

Jeffrey Myers, The Lord's Service, pp. 49ff, calls the weekly worship service a renewal of the "new covenant," equating the various parts of worship to the parts of God's covenant enactments in the history of redemption, and specifically refers to the Lord's supper as occupying the climactic position in this process.