Understanding Communion: Tradition vs. Meaning

In some form or another, I have had a view from a pew for much of my entire life.  I grew up as one of those kids who, if the church doors were open for a service or gathering, we were probably going to be there.  I have attended small churches and large churches; country churches, urban churches, and suburban churches; churches that were grand cathedrals and churches that were little more than shacks; I even once went to a church where they handle snakes.  I’ll be honest, though, when the boxes up front started making noises, I left pretty quickly. I’m not sure I was there long enough to get counted in the attendance number that day.  

I have had communion in a lot of different ways in these various churches.  The church I grew up in had communion every Sunday.  They had it after the sermon, and it was passed around in trays by the deacons with crackers, you had to break off a piece and real grape juice in a small glass cup.  The church I find myself in this morning offers communion every Sunday before the sermon and utilizes a pre-packaged, self-serve format for communion.   

If I’m remembering things correctly, I have been a member of 7 different churches in my lifetime and probably attended services at dozens more.  I don’t think any two of those churches have done communion the same way.

I’ve seen communion done before the sermon, and I’ve seen it done after the sermon.

I’ve seen communion done every Sunday, and I’ve seen communion done once a month or quarter.

I’ve seen communion passed and served, and I’ve seen communion be of the self-serve variety.

I’ve seen communion be passed and served by men, and I’ve seen communion passed and served by women. 

I’ve had communion from a single loaf of bread and a large cup of wine that everyone drank from.

I’ve had communion served to me by a priest, and I’ve served myself from an all-in-one communion delivery container.

After all those different ways, one thing has become clear to me.

The method may change.
The timing may change.
The containers may change.
The people serving it may change.

But the meaning doesn’t change.

Communion is not about the tray or the cup.
It’s not about when it happens or how it’s handed out.

Communion is about remembering a sacrifice made for us.
It’s about grace we did not earn.
It’s about a Savior who invites us to His table.
And it’s about the reminder that we don’t come to that table alone—we come together as one body.

The details may look different from church to church.

But the table is always the same.

It’s His table.
And there’s a place at it for all of us.