What’s on the Altar?

A continuing series on the parts of worship by the Altar Guild

Sacramental Elements

December 2008
At the Last Supper, our Lord took bread and wine, gave thanks to God, and declared that they were his body and blood. He shared the bread and wine with his disciples, and told them to “Do this for the remembrance of Me”. Christ’s followers of all times have had an insatiable appetite for this bread and wine, because they know that in them the Lord himself is present. When the prayer and actions of the upper room are repeated by the presiding minister, we share the very life of the crucified and risen Christ. The Lord is truly present “in, with, and under” the bread and the wine in the Holy Communion.

Bread signifies several things biblically and in our own time. The ancient Israelites believed that bread came from the hands of God—and indeed, it does. Bread also carried the image of death and resurrection: the wheat seed is buried in the earth, where it comes to life and sprouts; and then the grain is crushed to be harvested so that flour can be made and bread can rise. Bread also, of course, satisfies basic human hunger.

The early Christian church always used ordinary bread for Holy Communion, a practice that is still preferred. A whole loaf of bread has advantages over individual wafers, because the one loaf is a powerful symbol of our unity in Christ: “When we break the bread, is it not a means of sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, many as we are, are one body; for it is one loaf of which we all partake” (I Corinthians 10-16-17, NEB). The breaking and sharing of the bread is a symbol also of our Lord’s crucifixion, a witness to his own body being broken on the cross.

Carefully made homemade wheat bread is particularly good for the Eucharist, for it is a visual reminder that God takes common earthly elements and human labor and uses them for extraordinary purposes.

Wine is used for the Holy Communion because that is what Christ used in the upper room and directed us to use when we celebrate his holy meal. In addition, wine is used because of its unique meaning. While Psalm 104 speaks of bread for strength, it speaks of wine for gladdening our hearts. Bread was a staple in ancient Jewish meals, but wine was used only for festive occasions. The purpose of wine was not to quench thirst, but to give joy and life. Thus, wine is not only the blood of Christ through its use by him; it is also a sign of the festive and joyful nature of the Eucharistic meal.

Submitted for God’s glory by,
Pat Hamm and Bernie Swanson
Altar Guild Co-coordinators