Christians taking communion in other churches

[George]

Bill asked this in the other Communion thread.

Explain this to me then please, I visited a Catholic church a few times and I am a Christian but was not allowed to take communion and the explanation that was given was because of this very belief which of course I do not hold, I believe symbolic rather than actual change. Now I thought as a Christian I would be welcome to partake of communion in any church that callls itself Christian, so how does this line up with what you are saying?

[MENTION=43]bill1231[/MENTION]

 

[Josiah]

MY position.....

It's a matter of simple, respectful courtesy. Would I go into someone else's house and make myself a sandwich - without even asking? Without being invited to?

My Momma taught me to be a RESPECTFUL guest. Even when I maybe disapproved of some things in THEIR house.


Now, I have my own opinions as to what MY parish should and should not do vis-a-vis the guest. But when I'M the guest, I would never even THINK... never even CONSIDER receiving this without asking, without being personally invited and indeed escorted up to do so. It's called courtesy. It's called respect.

For many years, when I went to a church not my own, if I had time, I would visit their website and see what instructions for guests were given in this regard. Usually none were. But there was almost always an email address where questions were invited to be directed, so I would Email the pastor and ASK what their policy was and ASK what his counsel was for me. And if I was told (even even remotely implied) that perhaps NOT participating was best, I HONORED that. And took NO offense whatsoever. But when time didn't permit (for example, I only knew the day before I was going to go there), I just didn't partipate. NOW, I just don't participate unless it's another LCMS church AND I have time to adequately and personally speak to the pastor BEFORE the service AND get his personal invitation and encouragement. Otherwise..... And I take no offense.

Truth is, when I'm away, I typically attend a Catholic Church (usually because they are more numerous, easier to find and with more worship times than whatever LCMS church may or may not be in town). I love Catholic worship, I'm usually welcomed and blessed. BUT, I'm no longer Catholic. And so, officially, I'm not to receive the Eucharist there. So, I don't. I come forward, arms crossed for a blessing, just like I did before First Communion and just as I instructed friends of mine who came to church with me. I am NOT offended at all. In fact, I'm quite impressed that the Catholic Church still takes the Eucharist seriously, still takes stewardship of the mysteries seriously. And they are RIGHT: I don't agree with the RCC (even on things just dogma), not even on the Eucharist itself. I LOVE Catholics! I hold the RCC is quite some esteem, but I'm NOT Catholic, I'm NOT in dogmatic agreement ... and they are justified to request I simply be blessed.





- Josiah

 

[Full O Beans]

In my house, all are welcome to eat and drink. That is godly hospitality, so should it be in the house of God. He doesn't teach us to refuse anyone, but He does offer a warning to those who would partake of the Lord's Table unworthily, and that is the decision of the individual, and not some church.

 

[Josiah]

, but He does offer a warning to those who would partake of the Lord's Table unworthily

Do you think the guest should be TOLD that?
Do you think the host as some responsibility to instruct the guest?
Do you think the host as some responsibility to help the guest in this evaluation?
Do you think that if a host just welcomes ANYONE, that they hold some responsibility for whatever harm you think comes to that person?


Let's put it this way. There's a box of prescription drugs on the counter. Now, your attitude is "mi casa es su casa" - and I get it. So, they can help themselves to the pills. Now, you know there's a WARNING about taking medications... but hey, none of your beeswax? Not YOUR responsibility? Hey, it's a 6 year old kid..... or someone who doesn't know these are meds..... or someone who doesn't understand the warning? Not your responsibility? It would be rude to say anything, to ask questions, to instruct, to counsel, even... perhaps.... to say 'no?' Cuz, mi casa es su casa? I get your point.... but I DO think there's an important "flip side" that you can appreciate since you seem to be aware of WARNINGS attached to this.




.

 

[Alithis]

In my house, all are welcome to eat and drink. That is godly hospitality. so should it be int he house of God. He doesn't teach us to refuse anyone, but He does offer a warning to those who would partake of the Lord's Table unworthily, and that is the decision of the individual, and not some church.

the concept of walking into "some one else's"house .. in regard to communion is flawed any way .

the moment it became some ones else's house to us .. it is not the house of God .. seeing that "we are the church " "we are his body " it is not a place a building or an organisation .

 

[Full O Beans]

Whenever we have communion, the biblical warning is expressed.

 

[Lamb]

When we take communion, it's not just with God, but other believers. It's like a cross, vertical communion with God and horizontal with members you're communing with. If you disagree with them, then you are bearing false witness in trying to publicly say you are in agreement since THEY believe in the real presence and you do not.

 

[tango]

MY position.....

It's a matter of simple, respectful courtesy. Would I go into someone else's house and make myself a sandwich - without even asking? Without being invited to?

My Momma taught me to be a RESPECTFUL guest. Even when I maybe disapproved of some things in THEIR house.


Now, I have my own opinions as to what MY parish should and should not do vis-a-vis the guest. But when I'M the guest, I would never even THINK... never even CONSIDER receiving this without asking, without being personally invited and indeed escorted up to do so. It's called courtesy. It's called respect.

For many years, when I went to a church not my own, if I had time, I would visit their website and see what instructions for guests were given in this regard. Usually none were. But there was almost always an email address where questions were invited to be directed, so I would Email the pastor and ASK what their policy was and ASK what his counsel was for me. And if I was told (even even remotely implied) that perhaps NOT participating was best, I HONORED that. And took NO offense whatsoever. But when time didn't permit (for example, I only knew the day before I was going to go there), I just didn't partipate. NOW, I just don't participate unless it's another LCMS church AND I have time to adequately and personally speak to the pastor BEFORE the service AND get his personal invitation and encouragement. Otherwise..... And I take no offense.

Truth is, when I'm away, I typically attend a Catholic Church (usually because they are more numerous, easier to find and with more worship times than whatever LCMS church may or may not be in town). I love Catholic worship, I'm usually welcomed and blessed. BUT, I'm no longer Catholic. And so, officially, I'm not to receive the Eucharist there. So, I don't. I come forward, arms crossed for a blessing, just like I did before First Communion and just as I instructed friends of mine who came to church with me. I am NOT offended at all. In fact, I'm quite impressed that the Catholic Church still takes the Eucharist seriously, still takes stewardship of the mysteries seriously. And they are RIGHT: I don't agree with the RCC (even on things just dogma), not even on the Eucharist itself. I LOVE Catholics! I hold the RCC is quite some esteem, but I'm NOT Catholic, I'm NOT in dogmatic agreement ... and they are justified to request I simply be blessed.

- Josiah

I can see some merit in this approach but at the same time I'd have to ask how far to take it. If the church has a list of expectations of guests, how are the unsaved going to be treated if they enter the church looking for "something more than this"?

A short commentary before serving communion would seem to be all that is required, so that people know that if they love Jesus Christ as their Savior they are welcome to take communion, and if they would prefer not to take it then not to come forward (or just pass the plate by, or whatever is appropriate to how communion is served).

At my former church the policy was simple - if you accepted Jesus as your Savior you were welcome to take communion. Parents were allowed to decide whether their children should take it. That was it.

My concern about allowing denominations to deny communion to people in other denominations comes back to what Jesus said - "do this in remembrance of me", as opposed to "do this in remembrance of me, as long as the people serving it think it's appropriate that you should remember me". Somewhere there's a balance between showing some respect to the "host church", and tolerating the kind of thing James warned against at the beginning of chapter 2.

 

[Josiah]

Tango,

I'm not sure we disagree (much, lol)... and George please correct me if I'm wrong here... but I THINK this thread is not what we should do concerning guests in OUR church, but rather what WE should do when we are a guest in another church - perhaps one we've never been to before, perhaps one of a different denomination with different beliefs and practices.

I could be wrong, of course. It's happened before. Once. Just can't remember what that was about.



BLESSINGS!


- Josiah

 

[George]

Tango,

I'm not sure we disagree (much, lol)... and George please correct me if I'm wrong here... but I THINK this thread is not what we should do concerning guests in OUR church, but rather what WE should do when we are a guest in another church - perhaps one we've never been to before, perhaps one of a different denomination with different beliefs and practices.

I could be wrong, of course. It's happened before. Once. Just can't remember what that was about.



BLESSINGS!


- Josiah

I'd say you can touch on both.

At our church, our priest states before distributing Holy Communion that only Baptized and or Chrismated Orthodox Christians may receive Holy Communion.

 

[Full O Beans]

A Christian doesn't have to be baptized to take communion. He needs to simply be a Christian, just as in the first churches.

 

[George]

A Christian doesn't have to be baptized to take communion. He needs to simply be a Christian, just as in the first churches.

Your evidence please?

 

[Full O Beans]

Your evidence please?

One doesn't need to be baptized to be a Christian, therefore a Christian is called to partake of communion. Particular church doctrines do not supersede the bible, so a flat out statement of one particular church giving conditions where Jesus never gave them is not proof of the truth of the matter.

 

[George]

One doesn't need to be baptized to be a Christian, therefore a Christian is called to partake of communion. Particular church doctrines do not supersede the bible, so a flat out statement of one particular church giving conditions where Jesus never gave them is not proof of the truth of the matter.

Then show me evidence on how it was done in the first churches.

 

[psalms 91]

Do you think the guest should be TOLD that?
Do you think the host as some responsibility to instruct the guest?
Do you think the host as some responsibility to help the guest in this evaluation?
Do you think that if a host just welcomes ANYONE, that they hold some responsibility for whatever harm you think comes to that person?


Let's put it this way. There's a box of prescription drugs on the counter. Now, your attitude is "mi casa es su casa" - and I get it. So, they can help themselves to the pills. Now, you know there's a WARNING about taking medications... but hey, none of your beeswax? Not YOUR responsibility? Hey, it's a 6 year old kid..... or someone who doesn't know these are meds..... or someone who doesn't understand the warning? Not your responsibility? It would be rude to say anything, to ask questions, to instruct, to counsel, even... perhaps.... to say 'no?' Cuz, mi casa es su casa? I get your point.... but I DO think there's an important "flip side" that you can appreciate since you seem to be aware of WARNINGS attached to this.




.

We are taling communion not drugs and I do feel offended that any church that calls itself christian would deny another christian communion, you can spin it any way you want but it is wrong, dead wrong

 

[Lamb]

I'd like to see evidence from scripture that a non-Baptized person participated in Communion.

 

[psalms 91]

Id like to see evidence that refusing communion to a christian is permitted in scripture

 

[Josiah]

George will correct me if I'm wrong here, but...

This thread is NOT about whether congregations should or should not be stewards here, what that congregation should or should not do via GUESTS.

It's about BEING a guest - I think of a church to which we do NOT belong, a church we have NOT visited before, a church that does NOT know us.

It's about what WE should and should not do, not what congregations should and should not do.




.

 

[psalms 91]

Since I was the one mentioned I think it should be about what I have stated, that it made me angry and I will never step into a Catholic church again. It has everything to do with the fact that it is a christian denom saying other christians are not welcome to participate in the Lords supper. Seems like a lot of threads lately are off the rails as you raise this in a lot of threads. Makes me wonder if it is really all these threads getting sidetracked or a tactic to not discuss what is uncomfortable. Either way I acted as a guest should but never ever will I be a guest again in a Catholic church and I am sure I am not alone in this

 

[Josiah]

Since I was the one mentioned I think it should be about what I have stated, that it made me angry and I will never step into a Catholic church again. It has everything to do with the fact that it is a christian denom saying other christians are not welcome to participate in the Lords supper. Seems like a lot of threads lately are off the rails as you raise this in a lot of threads. Makes me wonder if it is really all these threads getting sidetracked or a tactic to not discuss what is uncomfortable. Either way I acted as a guest should but never ever will I be a guest again in a Catholic church and I am sure I am not alone in this

You are welcome to start threads, Bill.