On Sacrament

[bruce]

Sacrament is one of those words that I never had much of an idea as to what it meant. Sounds something like sacrifice. The only things in this world that we have to sacrifice are sin, disease, and death. Everything else we can keep. I was helped by the responsive reading, the instruction to lay aside malice, guile, hypocricies, envies, and evil speakings, which would open the way to have that desire for the sincere milk of the word, so I can grow in grace. To me it was clear that it is an entirely reasonable request to be a follower of God, as dear children.

[Joseph from Scotland]

Hi Bruce,

I agree with you completely and your description of it is indeed the way it should be.

Most denominations have a material version of “sacrament” involving bread and wine. I know from my background in the Catholic Church, the Priest says some words from the Bible which supposedly change the bread and wine “magically” (by his his appointed position in the Church) into the body and blood of the material Jesus. Which at best makes them seem like cannibals because they would be eating flesh if it were true, but no one thinks its strange. After its “creation” (or “transubstantiation” as it is officially called) Its kept in a special box behind the altar and they display a red light to show God is “in” or “present”. People bow to it, pray to it, worship it and then eat it because they believe it is mysteriously transformed into Jesus. It sounds strange but looking back I never knew any different. Its power is given by “mystery” because no one really understands why or how its done that way, its simply a ritual or tradition going back hundreds of years.

Sacrament is not a Biblical word, its something which appeared later in Christianity to describe certain ceremonies.

The other denominations in the Protestant traditions have a symbolic bread and wine where its a commandment to recreate the supper which Jesus had as a way of expressing sentiment towards God to remember the Life and personality of Jesus. Its like a shared meal but they don´t claim to turn it into Jesus. They see it like a commandment. An obligation based on the verse “do this in remembrance of me”

Im not aware of any other denomination which has a metaphysical interpretation of sacrament. Except for us.

The material sacrament holds a lot of power in Churches because you have to be a member of that particular church (like a club) before receiving it and in good standing morally before you can take it. Leaders can punish bad behaviour or immorality by with-holding it from the person. Currently divorced Catholics are barred from it completely.

Thank God for our clear and simple understanding given to us by Mrs Eddy, the Sacrament cannot be held from any of us.

[Susanne]

Thank you for this explanation of the sacrament in other denominations. How sad that the sacrament would be withheld as punishment. It makes me even more grateful for our spiritual form of communion. There is no “mystery” (representing the mist!) in Christian Science.

[Author]

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