The Lord’s Supper is the sacrament of communion with Christ and with His people, in which bread and wine are given and received in thankful remembrance of Him and His sacrifice on the Cross; and they who in faith receive the same do, after a spiritual manner, partake of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to their comfort, nourishment, and growth in grace. All may be admitted to the Lord’s Supper who make a credible profession of their faith in the Lord Jesus and of obedience to His law. (Basis of Union 2.16.2)
The above comes directly from our Twenty Articles of Doctrine. As it states, The Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion is one of the two sacraments of the United Church of Canada, and because of that it is a very important part of our tradition. It means a lot to us and we hope it means a lot to you as well.
Holy Communion is celebrated at various times throughout the year, sometimes as often as once a month. It takes place during regular worship.
As with Baptism, The Lord’s Supper is something quite special. It’s more than just a time of remembering what Jesus did, and it’s more than just a celebration of the gift of Grace. When we gather at the table, we do so with every Christian of every time and place. When we eat the bread and drink of the cup, we are doing so with Christ and all his followers.
In some traditions, one must become a member in order to take part in Holy Communion, but in The United Church of Canada we celebrate an Open Table. This means that no matter who someone is or how long someone has been at St. Paul’s all present are welcome to come to the table. This includes everyone regardless of race, age (kids too!), gender, sexuality, or where they are on their faith journey. We acknowledge that the table around which we gather is not actually ours. We don’t have the right to invite or discourage anyone from eating of the bread or drinking of the wine (grape juice). This is because the table belongs to Jesus Christ, and He welcomes all. We strive to make sure all feel free to come and share in the celebration.
Along with making sure people feel welcome at the table, we want them to be able to eat and drink when they get there. If you have a gluten sensitivity or allergy, or if you are allergic to red dye (found in red grape juice) please let us know before the service either by phone: (506)458-1183 or just talking to the Minister or a member of the Worship team. As of right now, we do have a gluten free option for bread, but not a white grape juice option (no one has asked yet, but it wouldn’t be hard).
We look forward to sharing this meal with you!