How come every time we take communion at church, they say we’re taking the “elements”?

[NathanH83]

I’ve studied the periodic table, and bread and wine are not one of them.

The early church called it the Eucharist.
How come I’ve never heard that word in church before? Are they afraid of it because it sounds too Catholic?

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[Forgiven1]

Not sure what church you attend, but in mine we receive the body and blood. Some do refer to it as the Eucharist. We don't call it the elements.

 

[Josiah]

The early church called it the Eucharist.
How come I’ve never heard that word in church before?

Perhaps you've been going to the wrong church, my brother...




It goes by a number of names....

One is used in Scripture. It is "Lord's Supper" 1 Corinthians 11:20

But a host of other names have been used by Christians for this Sacrament or Ordinance:

"Communion" (from 1 Corinthians 10:16)
"Eucharist" (Latin for "giving thanks" - from Matthew 26:26 and 1 Corinthians 23-24)
"Sacrament of the Altar"

In Lutheranism, the above 4 terms are all used.


Names we don't find historically are:

"The Great Nothing"
"Just a Remembrance"
"Weber's Bread with Welch's Grape Juice"



.

 

[NathanH83]

Perhaps you've been going to the wrong church, my brother...




It goes by a number of names....

One is used in Scripture. It is "Lord's Supper" 1 Corinthians 11:20

But a host of other names have been used by Christians for this Sacrament or Ordinance:

"Communion" (from 1 Corinthians 10:16)
"Eucharist" (Latin for "giving thanks" - from Matthew 26:26 and 1 Corinthians 23-24)
"Sacrament of the Altar"

In Lutheranism, the above 4 terms are all used.


Names we don't find historically are:

"The Great Nothing"
"Just a Remembrance"
"Weber's Bread with Welch's Grape Juice"



.

Do you believe, as a Lutheran, that the bread and wine literally turn into Jesus’ body and blood?


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[Lamb]

Do you believe, as a Lutheran, that the bread and wine literally turn into Jesus’ body and blood?


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As a Lutheran we believe the bread is bread and the bread is also Jesus' body. The wine is wine and also Jesus' blood. We believe differently than Catholics who believe that the bread and wine are no more.

 

[Lamb]

Also, I wanted to state that in the Lutheran churches I've attended, although we receive the Lord's body and blood, the pastors have referred to the bread and wine as earthly elements when we describe things to people outside of the service. Within the service itself, the term is not used.

 

[Josiah]

Do you believe, as a Lutheran, that the bread and wine literally turn into Jesus’ body and blood?

Nope. that's a Roman Catholic belief since the 11th Century or so.


To the point of this thread (not to derail) Lutherans DO use the title "Eucharist" but also "The Lord's Supper" "Holy Communion" "The Sacrament of the Altar." Today, in the USA, "The Lord's Supper" and "Holy Communion" are probably most common but all are used.





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[Albion]

I’ve studied the periodic table, and bread and wine are not one of them.

The early church called it the Eucharist.
How come I’ve never heard that word in church before?

Referring to the communion bread and wine as the "elements" is a common and handy way of speaking about all of that with a single word. Many churches, but mostly the older ones, use this terminology although there's nothing wrong with using more complicated language.

However, it doesn't refer to the entire worship service which includes a distribution of the communion elements. You're right that "the Eucharist" is the more common term that is used when that is what's meant.

And no, it has nothing to do with science's periodic table of the elements.