I have seen at presbytery meetings and other days than the Lord's Day. I've also heard about the sacrament being served to those who can't come to worship...

So when can the Lord's Supper be served? You can choose multiple options.

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Rev. Andrew J. Barnes
Husband of Dena
Father of Oliver
Master of Bruce
Pastor of Tchula Presbyterian Church

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FWIW. Below is my note on WCF 29.3 (to give both to the communicants; but to none who are not then present in the congregation).note

note: (1) PCUS(1963) deleted “but to none who are not then present in the congregation.” (2) ARP(1959) adopted note ‘h’ (see Appendices, p. 246), allowing for carrying and administering of the Lord’s Supper to “worthy persons” unable to attend public services. In this country, as early as 1835, Samuel Miller allowed for this with careful qualification. American churches since then allow it with varying restrictions, addressing the issue otherwise than within the Confession itself. In his commentary on the Confession, G. I. Williamson summarizes the necessary qualifications for the practice: “The sacrament of the Lord's Supper may be administered in private homes, provided there is an assembly of believers, and provided there is faithful preaching of the Word and the administration of church discipline in that place also.” See: RPCNA Testimony at 29.4; OPC Directory for the Public Worship of God (2000) IV.A.3; PCUSA Book of Order 2002-2003, W-2.4010; PCA Minutes of the 7th General Assembly (1979) 102; Samuel Miller, D.D. Presbyterianism the truly primitive and Apostolical Constitution of the Church of Christ (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1835) 90-92; G. I. Williamson, The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes (Phillipsburg: Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Co., 1964) 223-224.

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Chris Coldwell, Lakewood Presbyterian Church (PCA), Dallas, Texas.
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The Regulative Principle: The Scriptures are the “only infallible rule of faith and practice, no rite or ceremony ought to have a place in the public worship of God, which is not warranted in Scripture, either by direct precept or example, or by good and sufficient inference” (Samuel Miller).

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I chose "Other." I would say "Only in Public Worship on any day" but in the context of the local church. This comes from having a Reformed Baptist view of church government (no higher level of government between local church elders and Christ) rather than a Presbyterian one.

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MarieP
Reformed Baptist Church
Louisville, KY

"I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant" (Gen. 32:10)

"in the context of the local church"

Does that mean it would have to be at your church building? Or the people of your church would have to be gathered together?


Also, what are you trying to distinguish from, when you say that it has to be in the context of the local church.

I think what she's saying is that presbytery meetings would not constitute a valid venue for the administration of the Lord's Supper, since in Baptist polity the context of church function (in this sense) stops at the local congregation.

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Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://inprincipiodeus.solideogloria.com
http://puritanwisdom.blogspot.com

"As God did not at first choose you because you were high, He will not now forsake you because you are low."
John Flavel in Keeping the Heart



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Well, no not at the church building. The church isn't the building, it's the people.

And when I say local church, I mean when the church gathers for corporate worship at a stated meeting of the church. I am not a Landmarkist, but I also think that it is to be in the context of a local church gathered for worship.

Although there are elders at a Presbytery meeting, that is not that is not a stated meeting of a local church.

The teaching elders are not members of the local church where they preach, however; they are members of Presbytery.

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Edward
Deacon
PCA
Texas

Oh yes, thanks! I've been a Baptist so long, I forgot That never really made sense to me...on what Biblical basis are teaching elders not members of their own local church?

Question for my Presbyterian brethren:

At my retirement community, the Baptist pastor (across the street) conducts a once a month (same as communion at our church) afternoon worship service with the Lord's Supper administered. Actually, his reason for being there is to administer the Lord's Supper to those unable to attend worship across the street.

Do my Presbyterian brethren consider that inappropriate???

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Dennis E. McFadden, Ex Mainline Baptist (in Remission)
Atherton Baptist Homes, CEO
First Baptist Church of Alhambra, Member, Transformation Ministries (CA)

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If he's doing it as part of a worship service (and not just passing out grape juice (see other threads for debate on that, it's Baptist so I'm just making an assumption) and bread) I'd consider it within the bounds of Scripture and the Confession.

Others may have differing interpretations.

Are the partakers members of the/a/his church? Are they under oversight and able to receive discipline if need be? These are concerns I would have that make me hesitant to administer communion outside the bounds of where I have oversight.

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Rev. Adam King
Minister in the RPCNA
Pastor,Trinity Reformed Church
Wichita, KS

The nail's head has been hit.

If there's no oversight, there should be no communion administered. It's simply not a private function that can be observed any time Christians happen to be together (even if it is within the confines of a "worship service").

I chose other, the supper can be served anytime, but not without the preaching of the Word. The sacrament is the gospel proclaimed to us through our sight and taste but must not be ever separated from the heard gospel through which the Holy Spirit works salvation.

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Alan
Seminarian, RTS Jackson, MS
OPC

So if I just decided on a whim to go preach the word in the city park down the block, and some people thought they'd like to listen to me, and then I proceeded to bring out the elements for the Lord's Supper, that would be warranted? I'm deliberately extending what you've said, but it seems to me you're leaving some important qualifications out.

You are correct, I did leave out some important qualifications. The sacrament must be administered by ordained clergy. It should also be a scheduled meeting. I say it is normative to be done during worship on the Lord's day, but I don't want to exclude things such as a wedding where the gospel is preached, or worship held at locations outside an actual church building(worship held in hotels, schools, etc.)

My understanding is that communion is always to be served only in a context of public worship. When the pastor & elders minister to a shut-in, there should be a concerted effort to invite some appropriate number from the church to join that time--at the very least some of the ruling elders to join the pastor. Moreover, the statement in BCO 58-3 would strongly imply the public nature of any service of communion.

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Wayne Sparkman, Th.M.
Director, PCA Historical Center, St. Louis, MO
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But how shall the elders whose responsibility it is that worship (including the Supper) be done in good order actually exercise any oversight in any meaningful way in such a setting as a wedding?

Where the congregation meets is irrelevant - however, as I noted earlier in another post, the question of oversight is key. If oversight cannot be properly exercised, then (imo, and at least from the Presbyterian standpoint) the Supper cannot properly be administered either.

True, I was best man at my friends wedding and he insisted on serving communion. I refused because the gospel was not preached. I should probably reconsider altogether the appropriateness of serving the supper during weddings.

Dennis,

Assuming that it is indeed a public worship service, and that the members of the church are invited, and that that the residents are either members of the congregation or considered guests (as would be at a typical worship service), then I would see no problem with that.

But I think the guidelines I have laid down are important.

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Fred Greco
Senior Pastor, Christ Church PCA (Katy, TX)
Christ Church Blog

"The heart is the main thing in true religion...It is the hinge and turning-point in the condition of man's soul. If the heart is alive to God and quickened by the Spirit, the man is a living Christian. If the heart is dead and has not the Spirit, the man is dead before God." (J.C. Ryle)

I chose "Only in Public Worship on any day," taking for granted that elders are present, it is properly administered, etc. I also believe we should have the Lord's Supper every Lord's Day.

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Austin
EE student at Texas State University
Member of Church of the Cross (PCA) in San Marcos, TX
Ps. 8:3-4 "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?"

My guess is that it has to do with your view of fencing the table. Many/most of those present at the service are members (albeit shut-ins) of that particular church. The church (as do most Baptist churches) practices open communion so he would not be bothered by professing Christians from other congregations partaking as guests. They sing together, pray, and he does speak the word (in the form of a short homily) prior to the celebration of the Lord's Supper. People know that he is coming to offer communion to residents and non-Christians would not come; additionally he offers the appropriate warnings about who is eligible to participate.

I don't want to sidetrack the OP, but my case also raises questions of dementia since some of his members in our skilled nursing section do have dementia.

I lean towards only in the context of public worship. I also have mixed feelings about administering the Sacrament to shut-ins. Seems to me that the Biblical precedent is that the Supper only be served in the context of public worship, therefor negating any kind of sick be Communion.

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Willie Grills
Trinity Presbyterian Church
OPC
Huntington, WV

Don't be so hasty. "any kind" is pretty restrictive. As an elder in the PCA, I gladly participated in several instances brought on by providential need wherein we took the Lord's Supper essentially under the restrictions Fred Greco noted. That is, with an announcement on Lord's Day morning to the congregation that so-and-so was going to be brought the Word and Sacrament later in the afternoon, invitations made to join us for worship at her bedside, prayer, praise and preaching of the Word done in the presence of the pastor, elders and several members of the flock - and the service of communion, which was entirely appropriate, and, as it turns out DONE in the context of public worship of the church.

To separate sick-bed communion out as though it is automatically NOT the public worship of the church is to miss the way that appropriate sick-bed care of the flock can be done. Sick-bed communion of the kind practiced by Lutheran and Romanist pastors/priests wherein they alone are administering bread and wine to the sick and/or dying person, is not the sacrament but something else. But not all sick-bed services of the Lord's Supper are like this, so not all should be dispensed with as swiftly as you have.

Oh, I agree. I think the situation that you mentioned would be considered in the context of public worship. In the original paragraph. I was thinking in terms of the Romanist sick bed communion or even the Lutheran or Campbellite version. Sorry I should have put more time and been more clear in original paragraph.

I'm interested to know what you guys think of the Lord's Supper being administered in a seminary's chapel service. And what if the seminary is interdenominational, where Christians of various denominations are there?

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Kenneth Tan
Member, Orchard Road Presbyterian Church
Singapore

I agree. Well said.

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Jon Peters
Member, Reformation Fellowship (OPC) (Roseville, CA)
Folsom, CA