At my church, the Lord’s Supper elements are distributed (the bread then the wine), held, and then the congregants partake in unison to demonstrate the communal nature of the meal. I like this way of doing it though it’s certainly not the only way. The holding gives time for reflection. Because it might be helpful to someone, I’ll share some of the things I think about during this time. Again, a disclaimer: this is not necessarily what you should think about while participating in the supper.
THE BREAD we use is unleavened. A church member makes it to a standard recipe from the wife of a notable PCA pastor. A number of presbyterian and Reformed churches use it. It is a bit cookie-like but not too sweet. I am perfectly happy with it, but if I were to change anything I’d add salt, take away sugar, and maybe add some herbs. This bread’s best property is that it sheds fine crumbs as you hold it. Let me explain.
We should think of Christ’s real human body when handling the bread. “Jesus Christ is both God and man, and that makes all the difference” was my mantra once when teaching Christology to teenagers. The real human body of Christ reminds us of his real human nature, of the reality of his earthly existence. Crumbs help with that in tactile ways. Adam was formed from the dust of the ground; the Second Adam’s flesh was formed from similar stuff. The dust and grit remind us of the sandaled feet of our Savior treading dusty roads or hard cobblestones. What is onerous for us now in everyday life was also hard for him—he identified with us. He was not “unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.” Dirt and dust, mud and sand troubled him as they do us, yet he suffered the indignities and disappointments without sin, pique, grumbling, or ingratitude. It’s good to be reminded that Jesus suffered without sin so he could be our spotless substitute. Like Machen, we ought to be “so thankful for the active obedience of Christ” since there is “no hope without it.”
Brad Isbell | “What should we think about at the table?” | May 5, 2024
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Brad Isbell
Brad Isbell is a ruling elder at Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Oak Ridge, TN, board member of More In The PCA, co-host of the Presbycast podcast, editorial member of Presbyterian Polity, and treasurer of the Heidelberg Reformation Association.
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