Eat, Drink, Think

This is my 700th post since Musings began May 31, 2004. Who knew I had that many words in me?

My tribe calls our weekly celebration The Lord's Supper or Communion. Never, Eucharist (too Catholic, too denominational). We observe it during worship on Sunday morning . We are very big (read= obsessive) on restoring the New Testament primitive church. Someone asked me about it last week, and I began running it through my mind with these questions:

1. After that first supper, how long did it take for the symbolic observance to take hold in the new Christian's minds?

2. And in observing it, what were their elements (no, we never call them sacraments)? Fermented wine and unleavened bread as used by Christ in its institution?

3. Did the early Christians observe it only in worshp as we do, or was it part of a community meal as seems to be the case in Acts 2?

4. Did they use intinction (dipping the bread into the wine) or take each element separately?

5. As the years passed, were the elements filtered by custom into grape juice and crackers. When exactly did that begin?

6. When were the portions of the elements reduced to a tiny sip and a small piece of cracker (always broken off)?

More tomorrow.