Why we take communion every Sunday.

The New Testament doesn't command a specific frequency for the Lord's Supper, but it strongly implies that the early church practiced it weekly. In Acts 20:7, Paul meets with the believers at Troas "on the first day of the week" to "break bread." The language suggests this was the pattern, not the exception.

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul assumes the Corinthian church gathers for the Lord's Supper "when you come together." No indication this was a monthly or quarterly event.

The early church fathers (Justin Martyr, Ignatius, Hippolytus) describe weekly communion as standard Christian practice from the first centuries forward. The move to less frequent celebration came much later in church history.

Communion is not a bare symbol. The Westminster Standards call it a "means of grace," meaning God actually uses it to strengthen the faith of those who come to it in faith. If that's true, then we should want it as often as possible, not less often.

Weekly communion also keeps the gospel central to our worship. Every service ends not with a motivational speech or a call to try harder, but with Christ himself offered to his people at his own table. We leave the service with the taste of grace in our mouths, literally.

Weekly communion also protects against sermon-centeredness. The sermon matters enormously, but the sermon is not the climax of Christian worship. Christ at his table is.

At Shearer, the invitation to the Lord's Supper is open to any professing Christian who is a member in good standing of a Bible-believing church, who has been baptized, and who comes to the table trusting in Christ alone for salvation.

If you are a baptized believer in good standing with your church, you are welcome at our table. You don't have to be a member of Shearer. You don't have to be a Presbyterian.

If you are not yet a Christian, or if you are not sure, please don't take the elements. We don't say this to exclude you. We say it because the Supper is for believers, and taking it as a non-believer doesn't benefit you. Please stay in your seat, listen to the words of institution, and we're glad you're here.

If you have questions about participating, grab one of our elders before or after the service. They'll explain anything you want to understand.

We serve the bread and the cup separately. The pastor reads the words of institution from 1 Corinthians 11 or one of the Gospels. The elements are distributed by elders who bring them to the pews.

Each row takes a small piece of bread (gluten-free available on request) and a small cup of grape juice (not wine; this is a decision specific to Shearer).

We eat and drink together as the congregation, not individually at different times. The pastor leads us in the moment of taking each element.

The whole observance adds about 5-7 minutes to the service. It is quiet, dignified, and understated. No performance, no music during it, no video.