Why We Gatherنموونە

Celebrating the Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

Before we launch into a history lesson, consider this question: What traditions do you practice and why do they matter to you? 

Think about it. Traditions are not the same as habits. We have habits that we maintain every day or week, but traditions are special. Traditions are practiced in community—in family. Traditions are an element of culture that identify us with the people we share the tradition with. If we share no traditions with a family or community, it’s more difficult to identify ourselves with other people. Truth is, people are communal creatures. We need a family to identify ourselves with. So, here’s a thought: how about we identify with Jesus’ family and participate in his traditions?

Take a look at the following scriptures.

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:18-20; ESV).”

“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me (1 Cor 11:23-25; ESV).”

Baptism and communion (The Lord’s Supper) can be confusing subjects that lead to a lot of questions. Are they necessary? What’s the purpose? Do I have to? It’s easy to feel like these traditions are antiquated, but on closer inspection you may find their relevance undiminished. 

The early Church took baptism and communion very seriously. As a seminary student taking a course on the Patristic Period (first 800 years of Christianity), I had a professor describe Baptism as the membership card that granted access to the club. After baptism, you became a family member with “all the rights and privileges pertaining thereunto.” Of those rights and privileges, participating in communion was the most important because it was specifically reserved for baptized Christians. You see, baptism and communion were important because they were traditions that identified individuals as members of the community of Christ. New Christians would often commit to years of discipleship before receiving baptism because they believed it was important to belong to this family, and that meant sharing in this family’s traditions. 

To be clear, this was during a time when Christians were being martyred for their faith. So, you can understand why the Church would want to make sure that new Christians were fully committed to the faith and family. It took time to understand the commitment. 

Today, many Christians will never experience the intensity of persecution that ancient Christians did, but there are also many Christians throughout the world who will. In some ways, the value of baptism and communion is found in sharing a practice with Christians we’ll never meet. Just as these practices were significant for ancient Christians, they remain significant today in the way that they unify us and provide us with traditions that help us identify ourselves within the family of Christ. 

If baptism and communion feel complicated to you, take a moment to make it simple. Try not to be bothered with figuring out whether these practices are necessary or not. Just ask yourself if you want to participate in the traditions of Jesus’ family. Ask yourself if you think that matters. 

Jesus believed that it mattered, and he chose to participate. Many Christian believed that it mattered, and they gave their lives to participate. We still believe that it matters, and if you want to be part of our family, we would love to share our traditions with you. We hope that in them, you’ll find the sense of belonging that family shares when it gathers together to celebrate its traditions. 

Reflect

Think about your favorite family traditions. What makes them special? 

Have you been baptized? If not, would you like to be? If you have, what did it mean to you?

How have you typically thought of baptism and communion? Did this reading reinforce or contribute to your value for them? How so? 

In Luke 22, Jesus shares his last supper with the disciples and says, “do this in remembrance of me.” What do you think is the “this” that Jesus is referring to? Is it about the bread and the wine? Or is it about being together?

Respond

If you still have questions about baptism or communion, the best thing you can do might be to contact your pastor and have a discussion. If you’re interested in being baptized, ask your pastor when a baptism can be scheduled.

Next time your group meets, plan to share a communion meal in remembrance of Jesus together. Be intentional to incorporate some of the other elements of gathering that we have already discussed and try to schedule a communion meal often. 

“…Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me (1 Cor 11:25).”