Communion at Home

Yes, it is. Actually, when Jesus first modeled the spiritual tradition of communion, He did it in someone’s home. If you’re a Jesus follower, you can take communion just about anywhere.

Did you grow up in a church that offered communion as part of the service every week? Or maybe once a month? If you’re attending Coastal Church, you’ve probably noticed that we take communion corporately on the last weekend of every month. We hope you’ll take the opportunity to participate in communion as God leads you during our worship time together.

Let’s talk about taking communion at home. If you’ve ever thought of taking communion with your family or Life Group, good for you. That’s a great idea. We’re going to give some really practical ways to do that soon. But first, what is communion all about?

The most famous story of communion in the Bible is the story of The Last Supper. It was Jesus’ last dinner with His disciples before He was killed. You can read the story (and if you’re going to host communion you’ll definitely want to) in Matthew 26, Luke 22, and Mark 14. It happened as part of the celebration of Passover which was actually a festival that began in the Old Testament period. Jewish people would have celebrated Passover as a way to remember how God brought them out of Egypt and spared their lives in so many ways. The eating of the bread and drinking of the wine that led to what we call communion is still a regular part of celebrating Passover that Jewish people and some Christians celebrate each year.

With Passover as the setting, Jesus took the bread, broke it, yet didn’t follow the typical Passover tradition. He said, “Eat. This is My body.” Then, with the cup of wine, He explained further.

And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.” Matthew 26:27-28 NLT

In Luke’s Gospel, he included a few more of Jesus’ words from that evening, “do this in remembrance of me.” Those six words, and the Apostle Paul’s reminder in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, are the motivation for why we take communion together as Jesus followers. Jesus asked us to carry out this simple tradition to remember that He gave His life for our lives. That He was poured out to wash away our sins. Like baptism, communion is a spiritual symbol and reminder of what Jesus has done. But it holds power not only as a symbol, it also reminds us to invite the Holy Spirit to examine our lives and to continue to do His work of washing us by the grace of Jesus.

After taking communion, Jesus and His followers walked to the Mount of Olives where Jesus prayed His famous prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane only hours before He was arrested and eventually died so that we could truly live.

Ideas for Taking Communion at Home

1. If your family isn’t familiar with the meaning of communion, use the Scriptures above to explain how it came about and what it’s for.
   
   
2. Jesus and His followers used wine and unleavened bread, but it’s simplest to use grape juice and whatever bread or crackers you have available. Using juice is a great way to involve children while also being sensitive to anyone who might not drink alcohol. If you really want to use unleavened bread, a matzo cracker is a great option. If you can’t find grape juice, another juice will do. What’s important is focusing on the meaning of this spiritual symbol.
   
   
3. Be prepared to partake in communion towards the end of the online service. A Coastal Church pastor will pray for the bread and lead viewers in this first part of communion. Next, a pastor will pray for the cup and lead viewers in this second part of communion. 

Remembering what Jesus did while taking communion can feel like a somber moment, and that’s okay. But don’t forget, this is an incredible reason to celebrate. We encourage you to not just experience the symbol of communion but to live in its truth. We are set free because Jesus is alive and giving us life to the full.

We hope you take communion with us during an online service. It’s a wonderful way for followers of Jesus to do something He asked us to, which is to remember what He did for us. And it’s the perfect time to thank Him for His grace which gives us life.