Communion table
Communion table and Lord's table are terms used by many
Terminology
The use of a simple table, generally built of wood, instead of an altar made of stone reflects these churches' rejection of the suggestion of sacrifice in the rite: they believe that the
Many Protestant churches that choose not to use the term "altar" may still have an "altar call", in which visitors wish to make a new spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ are invited to come forward to the front of the church.[2][3][4]
Having or not having a Communion table was a subject of dispute within Scottish Presbyterianism in the 17th century, with the Independents opposing its use.[5]
While some Methodists use the term "altar",[6] the United Methodist Church states, "[s]trictly speaking, United Methodists do not have an altar", because Methodists do not celebrate mass. It advises that the traditional terms are "Lord's table" and "Communion table" for the table upon which the bread and wine are placed during Holy Communion.[7]
Location and adornment
The table may be very simple, adorned perhaps with only a linen cloth, or with an open Bible or some receptacle to collect an offering. In modern use many Protestants adorn their tables with candles, though the use of candles was historically rejected among some Protestants. Some Communion tables bear the inscription Do This in Remembrance of Me from the Last Supper (Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24) or the words Holy, Holy, Holy as a recollection of the union between the whole of creation in worship.
Such a table may be temporary, being moved into place when there is a Communion Service, but generally holds a permanent (or semi-permanent) position of some prominence in the worship space. Instead of a
Some bring in a Communion table only when needed.[9] For example, St Andrew's Anglican Cathedral in Sydney does not have a prominent Communion table.[10][11] The strongly Evangelical church leadership decided that the table should be placed in a more forward position in the chancel and that it should be easily portable so that it might be removed when not required for Holy Communion, to clear a space for presentations and musical performances.
References
- ISBN 978-0-7487-5288-1.
- ISBN 978-0-7867-3134-3.
- ISBN 978-0-8131-9141-6.
- ISBN 978-1-139-45938-9.
- ^ Begg, James (1998). "A Treatise on the Use of the Communion Table, in Celebrating the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ Cuyahoga Falls (Ohio) First United Methodist Church History and Records Committee (1968). The History of the First United Methodist Church of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 1830–1969. F. W. Orth Company. p. 115.
- ^ "Glossary: altar". United Methodist Communications. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ Huldrich Zwingli's minister church in Basel (PDF). All Saints Margaret Street, London. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "Trinity Baptist Church" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 December 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ "The Mystery Worshipper: St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, Australia". Ship of Fools. 2007. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ Farrelly, Elizabeth (21 December 2004). "How great thou aren't". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 January 2017.