"This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me à This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood." Luke 22:19, 20 (NASV)
Thus is recounted within the Gospels one of the few rituals Christ performed explicitly for his disciples and demanded performance until His return. This is known as Communion or the ritual of the Last Supper.
When the ceremony takes place is at the discretion of the minister. Some Baptist churches perform it weekly, some monthly, some perform it at times of pain (such as during prayer service memorials for 9/11), some perform it at revivals and some bi-annually at Christmas and Easter.
The ceremony is presided over by the head minister. He reads a portion of scripture dedicated to the Last Supper (either from the Gospels or Paul's account in I Corinthians). The bread is taken first. It is some form of cracker and is passed among the congregation while solemn hymns are played on the organ with content regarding the crucifixion death of Christ. He prays then the bread is eaten. This is repeated for the cups (usually filled with grape juice rather than wine due to the Baptist stance on alcohol). This time the solemn hymns are about the blood of Jesus, its power and flow. He prays again and then the grape juice is drunk.
In this paper, we will discuss the ritual of communion or The Last Supper as performed within the Baptist church. Other church systems such as Catholic and Episcopalian perform the ceremony, but there are subtle differences and not so subtle doctrinal teachings that are inherent within the Baptist ceremonies that make it different.
The Baptist ceremony allows anyone who is a 'baptized' believer to participate in the partaking of The Last Supper. This is important because within the Catholic, Lutheran and even Episcopalian denominations, only those who belong to that sanctuary are allowed to participate.
What, in the light of o...