In communion my church used to use pure grape juice as a better representative than red wine of Jesus' shed blood. And also unleavened bread as a better rep of Jesus' body.
When i was younger at a methodist church it was wine and the white flake bread. I think the white cruscit style bead is unleavened but not sure.
Really important to do the Lords Supper rightly. Its to do with a local churches intimacy with God. If someone in the congregation is struggling with faithfulness to God they really shouldn't take part.
I know it gets done as a routine in many many supposed churches but that is not how it was done biblically. Its much much more than a ritual or routine.
No sir. That is a fallacy that has been taught by some churches. Many tell their congregation not to take communion if they are in any sin. All that is false doctrine. Lets look at a couple passages to prove it
Matthew 26:26-28King James Version (KJV)
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26 [/SUP]And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
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27 [/SUP]And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
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28 [/SUP]For this is my blood of the new testament, which is
shed for many for the remission of sins.
Here Jesus is telling us that the wine is his blood for the remission of sin. How does it make any sense not to drink what is to get rid of sin, if you do have sin. The cup is the remedy for sin yet you are told not to take the remedy?
Many use one passage to say that you shouldn't take communion if you have sin and I will bolden that passage yet let's look at the verses before and after and I will explain.
1 Corinthians 11:20-34King James Version (KJV)
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20 [/SUP]When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
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21 [/SUP]For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
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22 [/SUP]What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? what shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
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23 [/SUP]For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
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24 [/SUP]And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
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25 [/SUP]After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
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26 [/SUP]For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
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27 [/SUP]Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
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28 [/SUP]But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
[SUP]29 [/SUP]For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
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30 [/SUP]For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
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31 [/SUP]For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
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32 [/SUP]But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
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33 [/SUP]Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
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34 [/SUP]And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
The part I boldened is why many aren't allow to take communion if they have sin. That is ridiculous as I have shown from Matthew that the blood is the remedy for sin. Read the rest of that verse and you will see how you eat and drink damnation. "
not discerning the Lord's body"
That is the whole issue in these passages. the people were coming to the Lord's supper and getting drunk and some were feasting and some were left hungry. It was nothing but a free for all party. They had no idea why they were there or what they were partaking of. That's why Paul is chastening them, because they were not giving the communion supper the dignity and respect it deserved, not
discerning that they were partaking of the Lord's body. That's what eating unworthily is!