Expressing the Bounty of the Table

Grounding Ourselves in What Takes Place in the Lord's Supper

Good Morning,

Today in our look at the Westminster Directory of Public Worship we are going to see how the Lord’s Supper was historically observed in our Presbyterian churches. Our format at Bethany at least hopefully does not look that much different. Part of what we do at the Table should be to not only present Christ, but express the power and beauty of the gospel to all who present, that those who are in need of hearing might also witness to what our Redeemer has done in and through His death and resurrection. Many times we miss the witness to God’s awesome grace when we either make the Supper more than it is, or in the opposite way reduce it to just another thing we do at church. There is a reason why care and thought must be put into every observance of Communion by both the minister and the elders as they order worship for the praise of the Lord. Let us know look and read and learn from the DPW for our spiritual benefit:

When the day is come for administration, the minister, having ended his sermon and prayer, shall make a short exhortation:

“Expressing the inestimable benefit we have by this sacrament, together with the ends and use thereof: setting forth the great necessity of having our comforts and strength renewed thereby in this our pilgrimage and warfare: how necessary it is that we come unto it with knowledge, faith, repentance, love, and with hungering and thirsting souls after Christ and his benefits: how great the danger to eat and drink unworthily.

Next, he is, in the name of Christ, on the one part, to warn all such as are ignorant, scandalous, profane, or that live in any sin or offence against their knowledge or conscience, that they presume not to come to that holy table; shewing them, that he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment unto himself: and, on the other part, he is in an especial manner to invite and encourage all that labour under the sense of the burden of their sins, and fear of wrath, and desire to reach out unto a greater progress in grace than yet they can attain unto, to come to the Lord’s table; assuring them, in the same name, of ease, refreshing, and strength to their weak and wearied souls.”

After this exhortation, warning, and invitation, the table being before decently covered, and so conveniently placed, that the communicants may orderly sit about it, or at it, the minister is to begin the action with sanctifying and blessing the elements of bread and wine set before him, (the bread in comely and convenient vessels, so prepared, that, being broken by him, and given, it may be distributed amongst the communicants; the wine also in large cups,) having first, in a few words, shewed that those elements, otherwise common, are now set apart and sanctified to this holy use, by the word of institution and prayer.

The first sentence witnesses to us something vital about the way we take the Lord’s Supper, and that is always in service of and light of what the word of God has said in and through the preaching. Word and Sacrament must not only sweetly comply, but they must work together to proclaim Christ Jesus our Lord so that the hearer is prepared spiritually to benefit from the bread and the cup. This is part of the reason why we do not take the elements outside the public worship service. There is a union happening which requires all the parts of adoration to make it true for the soul of the believer. It does not have magical powers which transfers from place-to-place. The Supper is a means of community whereby the Spirit is specially present.

Another thing worth noting from what we have before us is that all of this is to be done by the minister who alone has the authority to oversee the Table. We see this in what Paul has to say for instance in 1 Corinthians 4:1-2, “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”. Whoever takes on the mantle of a pastor receives a serious calling that cannot be undertaken without due consideration of some of the responsibilities that come with it. As R.C. Sproul says, “Included in this ministry is the responsibility of being stewards of the mysteries of God. Just as Old Testament priests were “stewards” of God’s mysteries, so that task is also carried out by New Testament ministers.”. To think of what the Lord does in and through the sacraments must have as part of its calculus that when Jehovah established the old covenant worship He laid out markers which would continue in their spirit in the new covenant. If God gave directions which laid out honor and humility for the overseers of worship back then, there is no way he would lesson these things in the new testament age for His character does not change.

As the day of observance moves forward you read in the section I highlighted that the table itself is not only covered, but decently placed. It’s worth remembering that back then it was common for the people to sit together at an actual table when they partook of the meal. Some men in our Presbyterian circles are attempting to bring this back and while it does have some neat visuals it is not necessary for the right administration of the sacrament. The idea here is to model what took place in the upper room when Jesus first gave the Supper to His disciples. It highlights the nature of the way the community of faith is to gather as one as a true family to enjoy the blessings available alone in the one who laid down His life for them.

In closing, there are a lot more gems which can be taken from this section and more time is probably warranted on it. However, we have been working our way through the Directory since August and will probably need to start moving on. Yet, there is some truth that a lifetime is probably not sufficient to really comprehend all the spiritual meat available in this sacrament provided by the gracious spirit of the living God. Consider all these things the next time you gather at the “table” to feed by faith on the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Last word:

https://learn.ligonier.org/qas/who-can-administer-the-sacraments

Blessings in Christ,

Rev. Benjamin Glaser

Pastor, Bethany ARP Church