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Our celebration of the Lord's Supper in the Reformed tradition is sometimes touched with uncertainty. Is there something sacred about wine, or is grape juice an acceptable option? Are there rules about whether the bread should be leavened or unleavened, store-bought or home-baked, white or wheat? Is a single chalice more meaningful than a tray full of small cups? Who should bring the elements to the table—and when? Does it make any difference what we do with leftover elements?
Author Howard Hageman addresses some of those questions.
We must begin by determining what the eucharistic elements are in Reformed practice. Of course, everyone realizes that by New Testament example they are bread and wine, but that simple statement requires a good deal of further definition. Christians from various traditions have developed different ideas about what is appropriate to the Eucharist, or Lord's Supper.
This resource was originally published in Reformed Worship by Howard G. Hageman.
