Is there a difference between Presbyterian and Reformed?
One major difference is that Presbyterians
view 'Communion' as a symbolic remembrance of Christ's last supper. Church members consider
communion a solemn but joyful act, symbolic of celebrating at the table of their Savior, and a reconciliation with God and with one another.
Communion in the Reformed Church of America is viewed differently, in fact
much more than a symbolic remembrance. They celebrate the Lord’s Supper, by following what Jesus did when He broke bread and drank wine with His disciples on the night before He died. At Communion, Reformers receive gifts of bread and wine or grape juice, give thanks to God, and share the food and drink with each other.
In these simple actions, believers experience a profound mystery: Christ himself is present, and his life passes into us and is made ours. However, Reformed Christians do not believe that the bread and wine or grape juice are physically transformed into Christ’s body and blood.
The Reformed Church's view of Communion closely resembles that of today's Lutheran Church.
Lutherans believe that, in Communion, Christ comes to them in, with and under the bread and wine to nourish the faith of Christians and the church. Lutherans believe they share in a sacred meal that spans all time and space.
At Communion, Lutherans commune with the saints who have gone before us and with other Christians around the globe who gather at our Lord’s table. Lutherans believe that the uncontainable presence, grace, love, forgiveness and mercy of Christ come to us in simple bread and wine.
The Episcopal Church, like the Reformed and Lutheran Churches, also believe that Communion is much more than a symbolic remembrance.
Episcopalians believe in the real presence, meaning that the risen Christ is “really present” with us in the sacrament of Communion. Physical things, like bread, wine, water, oil, etc… become the vehicles God uses to share with us the power and presence of Jesus Christ, through the workings of the Holy Spirit. The presence of the risen Christ in the Eucharist is ultimately an inexhaustible mystery that the Church can never fully explain in words or philosophical ideologies.