Note to self: it might be worth thinking about the relationship between Word and Sacrament in a Brethren context. Malcolm Maclean describes the Christian Brethren Assembly he belonged to where the Breaking of Bread Communion Service was held weekly, "was not led by a clergyman, and did not involve a sermon (although there were several devotional comments made on biblical passages by a number of individuals)."
The Lord's Supper (Mentor, 2009) p9
I guess the Brethren don't have a formal liturgy either? Do you happen to know what happens? Does 1 Corinthians 11 get read every week?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
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Hi Marc.
I was brought up in a brethren church, and in fact the rest of my family aside from Claire, Noah and myself, are all still part of brethren churches.
The supper typically takes place within what is deemed essentially a 'worship' service (although it will almost always be called 'the breaking of bread' or something like that).
What usually happens is that, taking it in turns one after another, various men will stand up and give out a hymn, or a reading of scripture, or lead everyone in prayer. These hymns, readings and prayer usually have a devotional focus, and tend to major on reflections upon Christ's person and work. Where comment is given on a passage this would be very very brief.
Although all of this is unplanned and 'as the Spirit leads' it is remarkable how often there is a discernible hymn-prayer-hymn-prayer type pattern.
As the meeting approaches the 45-60min mark, someone (again, one of the men only is permitted to do this, but it may be any male who is in fellowship) will stand and give thanks for the loaf, which is then broken and passed around. (usually) the same brother will repeat this for the cup.
On the odd occasion the supper is followed by a brother giving and impromptu word of exhortation from some passage of scripture for about 5-10mins at the most.
My own experience was that brethren are effectively hyper-memorialists. There is no talk at all of the supper having an effect upon us in any way, even in the kind of way that I understand Zwingli would have spoken of (causing us to think about our sin and repent). The celebration of the supper is explained as the ultimate marker of christian fellowship (the one loaf, therefore one body is mentioned a lot, though this is not really explained in a way that suggests the supper in any way effects or cements our union by effecting our union with Christ). The rationale for doing it is usually that the Lord asked us to do it, and so we do. The supper is very much something we do for the Lord, and not something through which he gives or brings anything to us.
The brethren almost always celebrate the supper weekly, and in fact one can fail to attend any other meeting of the church and no questions will be asked provided he/she attends the breaking of bread. Barring people from the supper as part of church discipline (or refusing access to it for visitors from other denominations as some stricter brethren would still practice) has a certain potency that it wouldn't in churches where the supper is infrequent.
I hope that helps. I'm sure there are historical studies and other literature out there that would give you a more thorough account But that's speaking from recent experience (and reflects the practice of the churches my family attend every sunday).
I hope also that I've explained the above respectfully, even though, as you might just guess (!), my convictions lie elsewhere these days. :)
Oh, and I don' think 1 Corinthians 11 gets read that frequently in my experience.
And, on another note, it might be interesting to explore the extent to which the theological paradigm that accompanies dispensationalism has an impact on all this. Church vs Israel dichotomy does link also with heavenly vs earthly, spiritual vs physical, spontaneous vs formal liturgy, 'free' vs ordered, NT v OT, church vs temple etc. doesn't it? Does this account for both their liturgical minimalism AND their memorialism?
Since Darby founded both dispensationalism and the brethren movement, it can't be coincidence?
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