Dear Church Family:
Here are a few words on the Communion
service taken from the Seventh-day Adventist
Church Manual, pp. 123-127:
“The communion service … should be a most
sacred and joyous occasion to the
congregation….
[The] ordinance of foot-washing…was to be observed by the
disciples, that they might ever keep in mind [Jesus’] lessons of
humility and service…. While pride, variance, and strife for
supremacy are cherished, the heart cannot enter into
fellowship with Christ…. In the act of washing the disciples’
feet, Christ performed a deeper cleansing, that of washing
from the heart the stain of sin…. Jesus desired to wash away
“alienation, jealousy, and pride from their hearts…. Pride and
self-seeking create dissension and hatred, but all this Jesus
washed away…. ”—DA 646. The spiritual experience that lies
at the heart of foot-washing lifts it from being a common
custom to being a sacred ordinance. It conveys a message of
forgiveness, acceptance, assurance, and solidarity, primarily
from Christ to the believer, but also between the believers
themselves. This message is expressed in an atmosphere of
humility….
[Last] Sabbath an announcement [was] made… so that all
members may prepare their hearts and put aright any
unresolved differences they have with one another. When they
come to the table of the Lord the following Sabbath, they then
can receive the intended blessing.
…Communion should always be a solemn, never somber,
experience. Wrongs have been righted, sins have been
forgiven, and faith has been reaffirmed. It is a time for
celebration….
…The Church practices open communion. All who have
committed their lives to the Savior may participate ….“Christ’s
example forbids exclusiveness at the Lord’s Supper…. None
are to pass judgment. God has not left it with men to say who
shall present themselves on these occasions. For who can read
the heart? Who can distinguish the tares from the wheat? ‘Let
a man examine himself…. There may come into the company
persons who are not in heart servants of truth and holiness,
but who may wish to take part in the service. They should not
be forbidden.
Every Member Should Attend—“None should exclude
themselves from the Communion … Every disciple is called
upon to participate publicly, and thus bear witness that he
accepts Christ as a personal Savior. It is at these, His own
appointments, that Christ meets His people, and energizes
them by His presence .… All who come with their faith fixed
upon Him will be greatly blessed. All who neglect these
seasons of divine privilege will suffer loss.
With Love,
Pastor Sam
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