In keeping with the practice of Protestant churches around the world, FCC-Hanson recognizes to Sacred Moments of Grace – or Sacraments: Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, also known as Holy Communion.
You may find it helpful to think of Sacraments as acted-out prayers.
Communion
The prayer as we receive the bread and cup is that Jesus – who said “this is my body, this is my blood” would truly come in to our lives, and be our strength for life’s journey, and refresh our thirsty souls.
Most of the time we celebrate Communion on the first Sunday of each month, and it is served to all believers by the Deacons (in trays such as illustrated above). Congregationalists have a strong history of individual responsibility. While we have a prayer of confession and repentance before we celebrate the communion, the onus of determining if one is right with God and neighbor is on the individual.
Our practice is to share the bread together, when invited by the celebrant. We do this because the bread represents the Body of Christ, to which all Christians are called to be part. The great evangelist and leader John Wesley records in his journal “The New Testament knows nothing of solitary Christianity.”
However, we each come to Jesus on our own. He works in each one of our hearts to become our Personal Savior. So when we receive the cup, we reflect on His love and take it at our own time.
Occasionally – Maundy Thursday is one example – we use a common loaf and a common cup. Those wishing to receive who are ambulatory are invited to come forward, tear a piece of bread from the loaf and dip it in the cup (in sensitivity to those in recovery, we use non-alcoholic grape juice).
A gluten-free bread is always available (if one common loaf is used, it is GF).
Baptism
Congregational Christianity is – historically – part of the Reformed tradition. As such we respect Infant Baptism as the privilege of believers so that their children may be part of the covenant community.
However, because there is no explicit statement in the New Testament as to by what method believers are to initiate their infant children into the Family of God, we also are happy to dedicate infants. By so doing, the child, having reached an age of responsibility, can choose for him or herself to be baptized by immersion. Every summer we gather on the shores of Maquan Pond to celebrate Believer’s Baptism with a good old-fashioned dunking!
The Acted-Out Prayer for Baptism is very strong. We ask that Jesus wash us clean from our sins. In immersion there is even the sense of death and resurrection, as we are buried beneath the surface of the water and raised up to new life in Christ.
If you are interested in learning more about worship (or have any questions) please write to Pastor Peter Smith at psmith@fcchanson.org