Growing Up With Folks Who May Not Have Always Been Right, But They Were Never Wrong!

I grew up in a fiercely independent, Bible believing Baptist Church. The people there were for the most part wonderful and sweet. Now I’m not saying we didn’t have issues within the Church. Even as a child I could detect something was surely wrong whenever people would sing “Makes Me Love Everybody” with energy and feeling, but still not speak to a fellow member with whom they had a long-standing disagreement.

My grandfather was one of the most respected men in our Church. He was a Deacon in the truest sense of the word, that meaning a Servant of the Church. He was not, however, one who wanted to have anything to do with power plays or politics. He was an intensely private man but his beliefs and what he stood for could be recognized by how he lived. His simple approach to life was often at odds with the other Deacons who wanted to exercise authority and make sure the Church knew they were running things. They were not always pleased with my granddad because he would not go along with anything he believed to be underhanded or out of line.

Since my dad died and left us early, I grew up in the shadow of my grandfather. While he did not go out of his way to pick a fight, he always stood his ground on what he believed. He was not a lodge brother. He wanted no part of anything done in secret. He lived his life out in the open and had no time for shenanigans at the lodge hall. This was not popular since many of the prominent men in our Church were in the lodge, but this was the man I learned to greatly admire. I have followed his leadership and copied his pattern of life in many areas. My sons also reflect some of these same patterns. I’m not condemning others for what they do but this is how he impacted the way we look at issues in our lives.

Our small congregation practiced both close and closed observance of the Lord’s Supper. At the end of the regular service when it came time to observe the Supper those visiting and those who were not members of our local congregation were asked to leave or wait outside until this commemoration was completed. This was our adopted practice, this was our stated belief, and while asking people to leave was never done with any intention to make them feel bad, this was our approach and this is how it was conducted.

This was a far cry from the way it was done at my future wife’s Baptist Church where her dad was the Pastor. They not only practiced open communion but also actually drank from the same cup that was passed around. I was at that time dating her but I can tell you this approach was something very different for me. Of course I didn’t participate because of how I had been taught but I can sure tell you I wasn’t too unhappy about it, especially when old Bro. Oran, the biggest snuff dipper in that Church, passed me the cup!

My wife’s Church used grape juice and we used real wine in our observance. One of their ladies would bake the unleavened bread and that was our practice as well. Our real wine was not just any wine it actually had been imported from the Holy Land. This is how it worked. Three Deacons were assigned the responsibility to obtain the wine. They would drive some twenty miles to the closest small town that sold liquor. One of the deacons would stay in the car and observe the two who entered the store. The two who entered the store would observe each other as they would place the order and pay for the wine. I can only imagine what kind of scene this made and I’m sure they were all as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

When the wine came in they would repeat the process exactly the same way. I’m not sure if they rotated this duty but I would think they did. While this might sound like overkill it was needful to make sure there was never any questions regarding the acquisition of this special wine. I’m not sure if the wine was locked up at the Church property or someone actually kept it, but I feel certain the bottle was marked and a record was kept of how much was used at each observance.

Today I understand much more about this ordinance. I know it was something introduced and instituted by our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the purpose and meaning of this ordinance is all wrapped up in what He intended, not what we might think or say. He said it was to act as a reminder of His death on our behalf. Obviously that implies we need to be reminded and He knew that. The clearest passage on the approach to the Supper is found in the Apostle Paul’s first preserved letter to the Church at Corinth. (1st Corinthians Chapter 10) There are many things we can learn from the Apostle’s instruction to this local Church. That’s the first important matter to consider. While these instructions were useful for all Churches, then and now, Paul did not hold the local Church at Thessalonica responsible for what was going on at Corinth. His word was to those members covenanted together as the Lord’s Church in Corinth. (Probably the First Baptist Church at Corinth, who knows? It’s a joke!)

In the way the folks at Corinth had approached the Supper, some had failed to give proper respect and reverence to the purpose of the ordinance, that being the remembrance of the Savior. How serious was this issue? Paul said some were sick and others had died because of how they approached this Supper. That’s kind of sobering when you think about it. I will not try to evaluate all the variety of teachings that exist regarding this ordinance. There’s way too many, and sad to say, most, in my opinion, are foreign to “thus says the word of the Lord”.

What have I learned through my experience and understanding of the Scriptures as it relates to this ordinance? The overriding concern is to honor the Savior by remembering His giving of His body and His blood for us. Therefore, anything, and I do mean anything, be it music, liturgy, ritual, practice, or approach that shades, diminishes, or takes away from the remembrance of our Savior is clearly out of sync with His mandate for this ordinance. And, yes, I am aware of the risk of serving even a small amount of alcohol to an alcoholic, and would not do so. I am also aware that many Churches today offer this sacrament to anyone with little or no explanation about its meaning and purpose.

While I readily admit that I don’t draw bright lines like I once did, I have become more committed than ever to this ordinance being expressly observed for the purpose of remembering Him. Something else I have learned is that any of us are capable of going off the deep end. We can think ourselves to be more Christian than others because we use real wine or we say closed or we use grape juice and we say open. Truth is, those who really get it are the ones who come prepared to recognize, remember, honor, and worship, in spirit and truth, the One who died for us. May we all be counted in this number. More later………