Regulative Principle and Weekly Communion, with some thoughts on the Calendar
There are many good and Biblical reasons for Christians to gather at the Lord’s Table in Communion to celebrate Eucharist every week. But for this post I just want to focus on the reasons for doing so based on the Reformed Regulative Principle of worship. In particular, I want to use a common objection to the Church Calendar and reapply it to the issue of the regular celebration of the Eucharist.
A great deal of emphasis in discussion of Regulative Principle is placed on what is not commanded for worship, and the prohibition of those things. But I think we often overlook what is commanded when we look at the subject of Lord’s Day worship.
In regards to the Sabbath law of the fourth commandment, the Reformers were particularly concerned that any day might become more important than the Sabbath rest. This is a legitimate concern in some ways, especially regarding discussions of the Church Calendar. How many nominal Christians go to worship only on Easter and Christmas? Or, even if they regularly attend, how many become more fervent at those times of year than at others?
Is Pascha or Christmas inherently any more holy of a day than a Lord’s Day in the middle of “ordinary time”? I would argue not, and I’ll probably want to address my reasoning for that at a later date.
But in looking into those questions, another thing struck me. If we want to take care not to elevate any day over the Sabbath, or even one Sabbath day over another, then what does this say for the widespread tradition of celebrating communion only monthly, or in some cases, even quarterly or annually? Does this not elevate those Sabbaths above all others? Have you ever seen in a church service bulletin the reminder: Next week is communion Sunday. Please prepare your heart during the week and make certain to attend.
Even if the intent is not to elevate those days above others, doesn’t this lend itself to the idea that those days are more holy (set apart) than other Sabbaths?
My intent is not to condemn those who do not celebrate communion weekly as “Sabbath breakers.” We all fall short in many ways, and we all must serve and worship God to the best of our understanding. I only want to suggest that perhaps . . . just perhaps the Regulative Principle of worship that so many Reformed Christians hold to, if followed consistently, requires that the Lord’s Supper be celebrated every week in order to maintain equality of holiness from each Lord’s Day to the next.
Furthermore, I believe that if communion were viewed as indispensable and central to each worship service, a great part of the tendency some feel to inappropriately elevate Church Calendar days would simply evaporate. Because every Lord’s Day would be holy to the Lord, a day in which we meet Christ in His Word and dine with Him at His table.
I’ll conclude with this quote from the Westminster Confession of Faith:
Chapter XXI.V
The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear, the sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith and reverence, singing of psalms with grace in the heart; as also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ, are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God: beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon special occasions, which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner.
Note those practices that are “ordinary religious worship” as distinct from those that are “beside.” To use my earlier definition of the word “ordinary,” I would say that the practices listed as such—reading of Scripture, preaching, hearing of the Word, singing of psalms, and due administration of sacraments—are to be regular weekly occurrences in the worship of each Lord’s Day.
Tags: Church Calendar, Church Year, communion, Eucharist, Liturgy, Reformation, Reformed, Regulative Principle
History, Liturgy, Theology | Christopher Kou | 
August 10, 2009 12:10 PM
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Good point on reformed oddities in that regard.
Good explanation. I don't hold to regulative principle, but those points are well said.Especially potent, to me, was the comment about "Next week is communion Sunday. Please prepare your heart during the week and make certain to attend."Shouldn't we be doing that… every week? I was under the impression that one aspect of communion is how it acts as a sanctifying agent of God. Never understood why churches want to do it once every four months.
I heartily agree with your note, Chris…Full of good points written with an attitude of humility.
Thanks for the tag, Chris. Good note!
Good note Chris. Although it's not my church's practice to celebrate the Lord's Supper weekly, I like the distinction about favoring one Sabbath over another. I personally don't have any quarrels with weekly or monthly celebration. There are internal Scriptural checks and balances which provide liberty for both as far as I'm concerned.I would like to know what your views are on ritual symbolism which accompanies the serving of communion? (is bread literally broken before the congregation, do you agree with elevating the host, etc…and how that fits in with the regulative principle.) Greg Bahnsen gives an exhaustively detailed analysis of the regulative principle of worship in his exposition of Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion (mp3). You might wanna check that out too if your interested
Hey, Jon. I'd love to go into more depth, but for now, until I have some more time to devote, some quick answers to your specific questions:Bread is broken before the congregation as the officiant says the words, "he took bread and he broke it." There is no ritual elevation of the host, as we believe the whole action of Communion to be important and see no special inherent worth in the element themselves. However, the breaking is done in the full sight of all, so this involves raising it up for people to see. The raising has no ritual significance.As far as how that fits into RP, I think if Jesus did it at the first Communion (and said "do this as my memorial") that is enough of a commandment to do it in our worship.I will look into Bahnsen's commentary on Institutes. Though I don't expect him to approach things from the more liturgical point of view, it would be interesting.
Actually, liturgy in worship is admittedly not a problem with Bahnsen, but he does tear apart virtually every argument attempting to support Hermeneutical Maximalism though. I think the breaking the bread idea is good and your comment on the inherent worth of the elements is accurate as well. It's always encouraging to find likemindedness as often as possible. Thanks for the response
chris, i don't think you can make an argument that we ought to worship every sunday from just the bible. if anything, there would be an argument for breaking bread "daily." it requires early church tradition and practice to help us understand that worship is to be on a weekly schedule even in the new covenant.