Annual communion sources?

[NaphtaliPress]

Does a Session that has the authority to decide how often to offer the Lord's Supper not also have the authority to determine what outward preparation is required?

Sure; but since the stress in Scripture is examine oneself, such additional matters must be a matter of prudential wisdom. It is on a wrong bases if some tradition is deemed necessary beyond "this is the way in prudence we have always done this for thus and so reason".

 

[Northern Crofter]

They might, but that goes back to my earlier concern: how will the session know if I have inwardly prepared enough?

The same way they know if your outward profession of faith is genuine - they don't. They can only provide the opportunity to do so and judge the outward appearance.

 

[Northern Crofter]

Sure; but since the stress in Scripture is examine oneself, such additional matters must be a matter of prudential wisdom. It is on a wrong bases if some tradition is deemed necessary beyond "this is the way in prudence we have always done this for thus and so reason".

It is also stressed that Church rulers must give account of their actions (or inactions) in office.

 

[RamistThomist]

The same way they know if your outward profession of faith is genuine - they don't. They can only provide the opportunity to do so and judge the outward appearance.

Very true, but in which case their judging your worthy or unworthy doesn't amount to anything new, since they were already making those outward judgments anyway.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

It is also stressed that Church rulers must give account of their actions (or inactions) in office.

And what constitutes inaction? And what is the measure for sufficient actions to be found faithful? This gets back to the rub in all these conversations.

 

[Alexander Suarez]

I agree with those who hold that a weekly observance every Lord's Day is the ideal while also suggesting that the current state of things in most of our congregations in the West would argue for a less frequent celebration unless/until our congregations look like Acts 2.

Good day Andrew,

I have a sincere question concerning your above statement:

What concrete criteria in your mind should move a congregational eldership to observe the sacrament more frequently, closer to the ideal of weekly?

Kind regards,

 

[Joshua]

Does a Session that has the authority to decide how often to offer the Lord's Supper not also have the authority to determine what outward preparation is required?

Insofar as is biblically lawful, sure. Making doctrines out of the commandments of men, requiring more than God requires, etc. No.

 

[RamistThomist]

Insofar as is biblically lawful, sure. Making doctrines out of the commandments of men, requiring more than God requires, etc. No.

Normally, that kind of stuff is already dealt with in church discipline, both in its positive and negative aspects.

 

[Joshua]

Normally, that kind of stuff is already dealt with in church discipline, both in its positive and negative aspects.

Indeed. This is why it is specially suited to the session to determine the needs of their people. Their spiritual condition and conditionING. If a people are still on milk (and, providentially, that may be the case for a congregation, which is not a matter of right/wrong, necessarily). There are so many factors to consider, which is why there is not only not a direction in our standards on a required frequency, but not in Scripture, either, nor a detailed regulation of preparation, though earnest and sincere preparation is certainly required! When a person unacquainted with me, who does not local-church-covenant with me, implies I’m unable adequately to prepare for the LORD’s table, I must ask where they received this special knowledge? On the other hand, if I get too big for my britches, and think I’m almost there by way of preparation, I must be humbled and exclaim, “Who is sufficient for these things?”

 

[Northern Crofter]

Good day Andrew,

I have a sincere question concerning your above statement:

What concrete criteria in your mind should move a congregational eldership to observe the sacrament more frequently, closer to the ideal of weekly?

Kind regards,

Good question (I have appreciated all of your inquiries for their sincerity!). I would say there are 2 things:

1) when the Session sees that a majority of the congregation demonstrates a mature understanding of the faith as evident from interactions in pastoral visitations, Bible studies, prayer meetings, and like opportunities and there are no gross corporate sins (like shared, widespread Sabbath-breaking - Super Bowl parties come to mind...) - enough to where the body is keeping each other lovingly in check and thus there is little need for formal Church discipline;
2) when the Session sees "the fruits of the Spirit" made manifest in the congregation through outward signs of love for one's neighbor, particularly toward those of the faithful community one belongs to.

I'm not sure if that is as "concrete" as you were asking for - I don't think it's a checklist. I think it's an organic growing up together like as described in Ephesians 2:21-22 and the end of chapter 4. Likewise, I believe frequency can (should) be reversed when there is declension.

 

[Northern Crofter]

And what constitutes inaction? And what is the measure for sufficient actions to be found faithful? This gets back to the rub in all these conversations.

Nothing constitutes inaction, that's why it's called inaction Seriously though, there must be some way to measure their service or there wouldn't be references to "elders that rule well" (I Timothy 5.17) or "Obey them that have the oversight of you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account" (Hebrews 13.17).

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Nothing constitutes inaction, that's why it's called inaction Seriously though, there must be some way to measure their service or there wouldn't be references to "elders that rule well" (I Timothy 5.17) or "Obey them that have the oversight of you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account" (Hebrews 13.17).

Example. To be 'active' and faithful is regular elder visitation sufficient or must there be some special examination before every instance of the Lord's Supper?

 

[Alexander Suarez]

Good question (I have appreciated all of your inquiries for their sincerity!). I would say there are 2 things:

1) when the Session sees that a majority of the congregation demonstrates a mature understanding of the faith as evident from interactions in pastoral visitations, Bible studies, prayer meetings, and like opportunities and there are no gross corporate sins (like shared, widespread Sabbath-breaking - Super Bowl parties come to mind...) - enough to where the body is keeping each other lovingly in check and thus there is little need for formal Church discipline;
2) when the Session sees "the fruits of the Spirit" made manifest in the congregation through outward signs of love for one's neighbor, particularly toward those of the faithful community one belongs to.

I'm not sure if that is as "concrete" as you were asking for - I don't think it's a checklist. I think it's an organic growing up together like as described in Ephesians 2:21-22 and the end of chapter 4. Likewise, I believe frequency can (should) be reversed when there is declension.

Thank you Andrew. So if those two items are being met in the majority of the congregation over a period of time, you are convinced that an eldership should gradually move to a more frequent observance, all the way to the ideal of weekly?

 

[Northern Crofter]

Thank you Andrew. So if those two items are being met in the majority of the congregation over a period of time, you are convinced that an eldership should gradually move to a more frequent observance, all the way to the ideal of weekly?

Yes. Such corporate sanctification would be evidence that the congregation is prepared to approach the Lord's Table more frequently. But I think the same argument for moving from 1 to 2 to 4 to 6 to 12 to 52 should allow for moving from 52 to 12 to 6 to 4 to 2 to 1. Weekly observation justified by "because we've been doing it that way for a long time" should be just as objectionable as quarterly observation justified the same way.

 

[Northern Crofter]

Example. To be 'active' and faithful is regular elder visitation sufficient or must there be some special examination before every instance of the Lord's Supper?

I see them as the same thing (though I would substitute "regular" for "special"). And I would suggest an elder can "visit" (examine) one person/family briefly in conversation after worship while another might need a much longer (and private) visit at their home. Still, apart from the Lord's Supper, regular visits by elders is beneficial in innumerable ways. I particularly liked being in a congregation where elders were "assigned" certain individuals and families - sometimes called the parish model I believe but really shadows the wisdom of Jethro at the end of Ex.18 (especially vv.21-22).

 

[NaphtaliPress]

I see them as the same thing (though I would substitute "regular" for "special"). And I would suggest an elder can "visit" (examine) one person/family briefly in conversation after worship while another might need a much longer (and private) visit at their home. Still, apart from the Lord's Supper, regular visits by elders is beneficial in innumerable ways. I particularly liked being in a congregation where elders were "assigned" certain individuals and families - sometimes called the parish model I believe but really shadows the wisdom of Jethro at the end of Ex.18 (especially vv.21-22).

So to be clear, regular elder visitation is sufficient to clear them in their duty and they do not have to check on everyone prior to every communion?

 

[Northern Crofter]

So to be clear, regular elder visitation is sufficient to clear them in their duty and they do not have to check on everyone prior to every communion?

No, I do not think "regular elder visitation is sufficient to clear them in their duty." The duty of overseers to carefully watch (I believe the Greek in Hebrews 13.17 is literally "be sleepless") over the souls of those placed in their care, a duty which goes beyond checking off that they've visited the congregants before coming to the Lord's Table.

But, if a congregation was mature enough in their faith and practice to participate weekly, then, no, I do not see any reason (in Scripture or in the standards of any Reformed body) why the elders would need to visit everyone before every administration - they should be focusing on those in the congregation who are less mature (yes, that might mean "visiting" with those folk weekly). It is, in my mind, the same principle of leaving the 99 sheep "in the wilderness" to seek the one that had strayed. In a less mature congregation, I would see the reverse in operation (visiting most folk before every observance). In other words, I see frequency as inversely proportional to pastoral visitation - and that I do sense in Scripture and in the standards.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

No, I do not think "regular elder visitation is sufficient to clear them in their duty." The duty of overseers to carefully watch (I believe the Greek in Hebrews 13.17 is literally "be sleepless") over the souls of those placed in their care, a duty which goes beyond checking off that they've visited the congregants before coming to the Lord's Table.

But, if a congregation was mature enough in their faith and practice to participate weekly, then, no, I do not see any reason (in Scripture or in the standards of any Reformed body) why the elders would need to visit everyone before every administration - they should be focusing on those in the congregation who are less mature (yes, that might mean "visiting" with those folk weekly). It is, in my mind, the same principle of leaving the 99 sheep "in the wilderness" to seek the one that had strayed. In a less mature congregation, I would see the reverse in operation (visiting most folk before every observance). In other words, I see frequency as inversely proportional to pastoral visitation - and that I do sense in Scripture and in the standards.

We're not communicating obviously so I will let this drop.

 

[Northern Crofter]

We're not communicating obviously so I will let this drop.

I'm sorry I couldn't give you the simple answers your questions seemed to be asking for.

In any event, I think the OP has been answered in that there aren't any reformed/presbyterian proponents/works that believed and practiced annual communion (at least not exclusively) that any of us can find so this thread has probably run its course..