Ask Your Preacher - Archives

Ask Your Preacher - Archives

“Maximum Memorializing”

Categories: LORD'S SUPPER, WORSHIP
How many times on Sunday can I take the Lord’s Supper?

Sincerely,
Really Remembering

Dear Really Remembering,

The Bible never specifically addresses how many times on Sunday that Christians can take the Lord’s Supper, but the practical answer would be once (maybe twice) because it is a group activity, not an individual one.

The command to gather and take the Lord’s Supper is a congregational one.  The whole church comes together on Sunday to take it together (Acts 20:7).  It isn’t intended to be done by individual Christians at home or apart from the church.  Paul says that we are to take the Lord’s Supper when the church is gathered together, and the Corinthian Christians were rebuked for not doing it together (1 Cor 11:20).  It is a spiritual meal taken together as we collectively remember Christ’s death and proclaim it until His return (1 Cor 11:26).

With this in mind, most congregations only offer the Lord’s Supper once (or sometimes twice if they offer it at an evening service for those who weren’t able to make it in the morning).  Therefore, practically speaking, a Christian would never have more than one or two opportunities to partake of the communion each Sunday.

Some Christians feel that they need to take it twice if it is offered twice – this is their prerogative, and the Scriptures seem to give freedom for each individual to decide whether or not to partake again.  However, a Christian only needs to take the Lord’s Supper once on Sunday to fulfill the command.