Q1. Intimacy

[ONALEE]

[/color] I FEEL AS IF I AM PARTAKING OF THE bREAD AND WINE WITH jESUS cHRIST. hONORING JESUS CHRSIT AND GIVING THANKS AND PRAISE. FOR ALL HE SACRIFICED FOR OUR SINS AND PASTS. HE FORGAVE US AND DIED FOR US. JUST A PERSONAL THING BETWEEN OUR HEAVENLY FATHER AND MYSELF.

[browe73]

Remember, we have agreed to respectfully and lovingly disagree with one another. What do you know? Perhaps we can learn from and be enriched by each other's understanding. (Note: I will exclude from the online discussion any who, in my opinion, are sarcastic and unloving in their manner.)

Q1. How does your particular understanding of the bread and the wine (literal or figurative) help you grow closer to Christ when partaking of the Lord's Supper? (Note: This question is not your excuse to argue, but to learn from one another's personal experience of partaking.)

It helps to meditate what Jesus did for us on the Cross

[Julie]

When partaking of the Lords Supper, I feel I'm drawn closer to the Lord for I'm reminded of the Lords love for us, which is so great, we break the bread as the Lords body was broke for us and together we eat, we pour the drink just as the Lords blood was shed for us and we together drink, we as one remember the Cross, it is awsome

[Kate]

Communion is God's call to us - a call for us to remember his sacrifice - that He gave His one and only Son so that we may have an eternal relationship with Him. It is also a call for us to remember our responsiblities as Christians - to show God's love and mercy to others, just as He has shown it to us. It is also a call for us to remember that we cannot do it on our own - just as bread and drink nourish our bodies, Christ nourishes our spirits.

[Katzen]

I've always looked at it in a figurative fashion. No matter what I say here, I could never say it as beautifully as Pickledilly did.

[Marilyn Rivington]

Bread and wine are the symbols that we use to completely focus on Jesus and what he won for us by his death on the cross. Eucharist is a spiritual experience that we experience with all our senses. I also believe that we should be careful how we take them. As Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 11:26ff if we partake of the elements in an unworthy manner we will be judged. I always pray before I partake,

[Sassyblue8]

Q1. How does your particular understanding of the bread and the wine (literal or figurative) help you grow closer to Christ when partaking of the Lord's Supper? (Note: This question is not your excuse to argue, but to learn from one another's personal experience of partaking.)

I think all of the answers so far were quite beautiful and seem to be from the heart.

I wanted to read the answer to this question by my brothers and sisters in Christ before I answered it myself.

My understanding of the bread and the wine is figurative today but in the past I was taught it as literal.

I think that no matter how one understands the elements to be, whether figuratively or literal, it's more important how the sacrament (sign) touch ones life and ones actions.

I most heartily believe that the Lord is present with us during the celebration of His sacrament (ordinance).

It is a very spiritual action. The Lord is with us as we partake of His body and His blood as we remember His oh so great sacrifice of love for our salvation. He is with us because He is in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I truly feel the presence of the Lord during this special time. I commune with Him and I always ask for forgiveness of my sins before I receive the Lord's body (bread) and the Lord's blood (wine).

The tradition I am in now only has communion about maybe six times a year but my other fellowship had it once a month. I do believe it should be done at least once a week at the very least.

The Lord's supper has never become mudane to me. It has always been a special time of God touching me and I He.

Just my thoughts,

Dotty from PA

[npaul]

I definitely believe that the communion elements are figurative and when I partake of them during a service or at home by myself or with my husband I recognize and am thankful that His death gave me life. I think that sometimes we major on the death and He is saying to us to major on the life that I have given you through My death. Without His death we would not have eternal life in the future and the abundant life now.

In Jn.6:35 He tells us that He is the bread of life.

[Melissa]

To me, the lord's supper is a ceremony to announce to the world that I've accepted God's grace. This makes me thank God even more as I have the privilege to enjoy the freedom to go to church and worship him openly in my country. Personally I don't separate Lord's supper from my daily life as the act of taking it is meaningless unless we know the consequences and meaning of doing it. Coming to the altar to take it do remind me to have a special moment with God, enjoying the fellowship he had restored for me..But afterall, I'll rather concentrate on my daily walk with Him rather than striving hard to analyse the detail of this ceremony. Another thing is when I'm taking it, it's like gather in the Lord's house, doing something that God has wanted us to do with other siblings in Christ, with Him in everyone of us already. So, in a nutshell, the lord's supper is not more than a ceremony unless it happens in our hearts. May God bless each and everyone of us here and gives us wisdom to understand His words.

[Glen]

I understand this sacrement to be both a commeration of Christ's death and resurection and a rehersal for the feast we will share together in heaven. Aside from the fact that he commanded us to do it (obediance is a good virtue for a diciple) I am enriched by both the reflection and anticipation.

The substance of the species is one of those academic conversations that is a healthy spiritual wrestling match but is insignificant in light of the actual spiritual communion between the communicant and his creator / redemer!

[dantanc]

What a great institution God has created for us to keep us close to HIM and remind us the ultimate sacrifice HE has made for redeeming us unto HIM. When I partake the elements of Lord's table, I undergo a spirutual experience and rejoice for the way in which HE has saved me and renew all HIS assurances. For me, the continuity and the connectivity to God, through these earthly but blessed elemnts is the essence of Lord'Supper.

[sahala p.s.]

Remember, we have agreed to respectfully and lovingly disagree with one another. What do you know? Perhaps we can learn from and be enriched by each other's understanding. (Note: I will exclude from the online discussion any who, in my opinion, are sarcastic and unloving in their manner.)

Q1. How does your particular understanding of the bread and the wine (literal or figurative) help you grow closer to Christ when partaking of the Lord's Supper? (Note: This question is not your excuse to argue, but to learn from one another's personal experience of partaking.)

For me bread and wine used in Lord

[Ann K]

I believe in the symbolic and spiritual concept of communion. The mystery and feelings of nearness to the Lors at the 'Table' help me get closer to the Lord. I still cannot fathom why he would sacrifice so much for me. If he then believed in me than I must try my best to please him.

[Burneta]

The Lord's Supper is more of a literal approach. I believe in the actual Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ.When I partake of communion I am commemeorating the Passover. I remember what Christ has done for me by dying on the Cross

[kas]

In remembering that He suffered for me, marred beyond human likeness (as stated in Isaiah), He shed His blood for me, He died for me and He rose again for me so that I could have hope in living for Him, suffering and dying to sin to rise with Him eternally.

[Jeane]

Remember, we have agreed to respectfully and lovingly disagree with one another. What do you know? Perhaps we can learn from and be enriched by each other's understanding. (Note: I will exclude from the online discussion any who, in my opinion, are sarcastic and unloving in their manner.)

Q1. How does your particular understanding of the bread and the wine (literal or figurative) help you grow closer to Christ when partaking of the Lord's Supper? (Note: This question is not your excuse to argue, but to learn from one another's personal experience of partaking.)

When I partake of the Lord's Supper it opens my eyes as to what Jesus did for me. He didn't have to give his life for mine. So as I eat of his body I remember the tortuing he went through. As I drink of the wine it reminds me of his blood covering my sins. Even if I was the only one on this earth he still would have done that just for me. It brings me joy and sorrow at the same time. Joy that he loved me to do so. Sorrow for what he had to go through.

[linda bass]

At my church we generally partake of communion the first sunday of the month.

Our pastor usually reads from 1st Cor 11:23-24 just before the ushers pass out the bread.

We wait until everyone has been served, then we partake together.

I like to use those few moments to reflect on what Jesus had to endure on the way to the cross-the beatings, the crown of thorns,betrayal, the jeering of the crowd,etc.

Then before the cup is passed out, 1st Cor 11:27-28 is read.

Once again everyone waits until all have a cup, then we all partake together.

I like to take these few moments to consider how and why Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross in order to free me from my sins.

I also make it a point to take care of any unconfessed sin before partaking of communion, least I partake in an unworthy manner.

[unclebob]

Remember, we have agreed to respectfully and lovingly disagree with one another. What do you know? Perhaps we can learn from and be enriched by each other's understanding. (Note: I will exclude from the online discussion any who, in my opinion, are sarcastic and unloving in their manner.)

Q1. How does your particular understanding of the bread and the wine (literal or figurative) help you grow closer to Christ when partaking of the Lord's Supper? (Note: This question is not your excuse to argue, but to learn from one another's personal experience of partaking.)

When I partake of communion I have a figerative understanding that breaking the bread and drinking the blood, is basically sharing with the Lord the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and for us to understand why and what Jesus Christ was goiven by the Lord for.

[unclebob]

Remember, we have agreed to respectfully and lovingly disagree with one another. What do you know? Perhaps we can learn from and be enriched by each other's understanding. (Note: I will exclude from the online discussion any who, in my opinion, are sarcastic and unloving in their manner.)

Q1. How does your particular understanding of the bread and the wine (literal or figurative) help you grow closer to Christ when partaking of the Lord's Supper? (Note: This question is not your excuse to argue, but to learn from one another's personal experience of partaking.)

When I partake of communion at church, breaking bread symbolizes that the body of Christ, and the wine the blodd of Chist was basically sacrificed to save me from sin. Basic

[dcl]

G'day

For me it is the Lord's command .... it is a reminder ... it is His spiritual presence and a means of our becoming 'one' - becoming part of each other as Jesus outlined in John 13-17 .... we in Him, and He is us.

So it also connects me with all other believers ... we are one in Christ.

It is a mystery .... but it brings heaven very near.

blessings

dcl

[dcl]

I can answer it best from the Song of Songs ...

I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine.

[carroll]

A. It is my belief that the bread and wine shared and taken at the Lord's

supper are symbolic of the body of Jesus Christ our saviour that was

tortured and broken, and of his blood that was shed in the process of the

literal sacrifice of his life on Calvary's cross for the sins of all people.

In my view, partaking of the Lord's Supper is important, for it reminds us,

lest we forget as we prone, of how precious we are in God's sight (a

reflection of his unconditional love for us), and that nothing less than

God's own life could atone for the sins of man. Whenever I partake of

communion I am humbled as it serves as a powerful reminder that I am loved;

if by none other, by the one that truly matters - God himself. What other

than unconditional would require the sacrifice of God's own life for us.

This sacrifice also reminds me of how much God hates sin; that he's totally

unaccommodating to sin. So much so that he demonstrates to us through his

sacrifice that sin will infact separate us from him. Therefore if we desire

to be in his presence eternally, that we too must denounce sin and submit

ourselves to him unconditionally.

[dnickel]

The partaking of the Eucharist is central in the episcopal church. It has been a great spiritual gift to me. I have looked at the arguments for literal and figurative and both have support for their views. Even though it seems to me to come down to what 'is' is and I think we can debate that until the Lord returns. To me, when I take the Bread and Cup of Christ, I feel that the Holy Spirit is present. I do not know how, in the prespective of Christ being physically in the elements or 'in,under, and within' or remembrance. I just feel in my experience that he is present.

It is funny how most of my life I was in a denomination that did not even partake in the Lord's Supper and after lonely 10 years as an agnostic, at best. I found myself in a church that is completely opposite of the church I grew up in.

God Bless

David

[Debra]

For me the Lord's Supper is literal. As a Roman Catholic receiving Holy Communion is purely receiving Christ and nothing more. The host that I receive is not bread but the Body of my Lord and Saviour, just as the wine I receive from the chalice is His pure and precious blood. That is why it is important for me to partake of Holy Communion daily. To quote from John 6. 53,'' Unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.''

[shalom98@rogers.com]

Remember, we have agreed to respectfully and lovingly disagree with one another. What do you know? Perhaps we can learn from and be enriched by each other's understanding. (Note: I will exclude from the online discussion any who, in my opinion, are sarcastic and unloving in their manner.)

Q1. How does your particular understanding of the bread and the wine (literal or figurative) help you grow closer to Christ when partaking of the Lord's Supper? (Note: This question is not your excuse to argue, but to learn from one another's personal experience of partaking.)

My particular understanding of how the how the bread and blood helps

me to draw closer when partarking in the Lord's supper, is that I realize the full significance that Christ has to be broken and come into obedience to the Father's will, because until we too can be spiritual broken, we really cannot be in full submission to what God wants to do.

Also the blood offering had to be made , without which a purging and

cleansing of the old adamic nature would not be erased to allow an ongoing purification and cleansing of the old self, thus causing us to contend with our old nature, thus causing us to battle with our old selves

on a daily basis.

My particular understanding of how the how the bread and blood helps

me to draw closer when partarking in the Lord's supper, is that I realize the full significance that Christ has to be broken and come into obedience to the Father's will, because until we too can be spiritual broken, we really cannot be in full submission to what God wants to do.

Also the blood offering had to be made , without which a purging and

cleansing of the old adamic nature would not be erased to allow an ongoing purification and cleansing of the old self, thus causing us to contend with our old nature, thus causing us to battle with our old selves

on a daily basis.