November 19, 2024
Dear Westminster Church Family,
One of the great blessings God has given this congregation is that we are committed to the eternal truths of God’s Word. May that never change.
As we seek to minister to a changing demographic in our church and a changing world at our doorstep, however, we will try different practices in an effort to better shepherd the flock God has entrusted to our care and to better reach those who have not yet embraced our dear Savior.
For the last year, we have tried a different way to serve the Lord’s Supper. Our hope was twofold: first, as we seek to shepherd more meaningfully, it was an opportunity for your elders to minister to you in a more personal way at the table; and second, it was a way to visibly demonstrate that the Lord’s Supper, also known as Communion, involves communing with God as the family of God.
For some of you, this different approach to the Lord’s Supper was very meaningful. It brought new life into the sacrament in terms of your experience. For others of you, there was a sense of loss. But more than that, it inhibited your time for personal silent communion and prayer.
Monday night, the Session concluded a lengthy discussion (that spanned several meetings and several months) on our practice of the Lord’s Supper. Although many different ideas were discussed, here are the last two we debated:
- First, serve Communion according to the previous (in-the-pew) practice at 9:00 and according to the current (around-the-table) practice at 11:00.
- Second, serve Communion according to the previous (in-the-pew) practice at 9:00 and 11:00.
One main biblical principle guided our final decision—unity. Immediately before Jesus was arrested and nailed to a cross, he asked the Father that we “may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21). Because serving the Lord’s Supper in two different ways—in the pews at 9:00 and around the tables at 11:00—might be perceived as a step away from unity, the Session voted to serve the Lord’s Supper in the pews at both services.
So, why not serve the Lord’s Supper in both services according to the current (around-the-table) practice? That’s a legitimate question. Here are a few of the reasons we discussed:
- Some of our members have mobility issues that make it very difficult for them to participate fully in the current practice.
- The additional time it takes under the current practice is especially challenging because of our tight Sunday morning schedule.
- And, honestly, we have not done a very good job ironing out the kinks in the current practice—one person described it this way: “It can be a bit clunky.”
For those of you who are disappointed, perhaps even discouraged, by this decision, I understand. I pray that you will be able to see this as the Session’s prayerful effort to live out John 17:21. We are imperfect men trying to do our best to follow our perfect God.
For those of you who are encouraged by this decision, I would ask that you pray for those who are discouraged. That will not only help them move forward, but it will further unite your hearts with theirs (John 17:21).
Looking forward to seeing you Sunday,
Mike Honeycutt
Senior Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church