Communion Wine? Why

[cally]

I'm wondering if others understand why some churches still serve only wine for communion. I have been attending a Presbyterian church which offers wine or grape juice. Sunday, I decided to attend an Episcopal Church because I think the sanctuary is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. I enjoyed the service until communion. Everyone walked up to the altar to take communion except me because they were serving wine. I can't drink even a touch of alcohol. So, I don't believe I'll ever attend that church again. I also was surprised that nowhere did the bulletin say or the pastor say that it was wine. I could tell by the smell and I later confirmed it. I'm pretty shocked that congregations still serve only wine.

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Quite a few will only serve wine, keeping to the purity of Jesus' actual last supper.

He said to drink wine and eat bread, and so for some Christians, those are the only viable options.

An interesting aside is those pietistic churches who believe alcohol to be evil, but who otherwise believe in purity and perfection to Jesus' words, have no problem serving grape juice.

Christianity is a weird world, and the more I'm in it, the more I realize that it doesn't make sense - no internally, and not within community - and that, in the end, the only thing that really and truly matters is that God is love, loves us, offers us free grace, and wants us to love one another.

Anything else is up for debate, and that's fine.

[Critters2]

2. Most mainline churches are now serving both,

but, yes, some of the more liturgical traditions serve only wine. A lot of people just don't believe that there are those--like yourself--who can't touch any alcohol without it being problematic. You might want to talk to the rector about this, if you liked other things about the church you attended. It's possible no one has raised the issue with him/her before.

Or you can keep hunting. There are churches that "get it" where these issues are concerned. I wish you well in your search for such a place.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

3. There are two approaches:

When I was a Lutheran, where the grape beverage is served in individual little cups, it was an open secret that the cups on the innermost ring of the cup holder were grape juice.

In the Episcopal church, where the common cup is standard, it's difficult to offer that option. In that case, people take the bread and then cross their arms over their chest to indicate that they won't be receiving the cup.

[cally]

4. It was Episcopal

but I won't go back. I sometimes enjoy going to different churches but I won't go to an Episcopal church if I can avoid it. Thinking more about it, I think the lack of warning and lack of an alternative indicates that people like me are not welcome in this church.

[kwassa]

6. It wasn't deliberately against you.

We Episcopals all drink from the same cup, and it is always been wine, as is the tradition.

I've never heard of grape juice at an Episcopal service. Aside from that, Episcopals are very inclusive people, and very open, (with a few exceptions). No one is required to take communion, or to drink from the wine cup at the communion rail.

I like the wine, personally. It is usually Taylor Port.

[shimmergal]

11. I agree; it was inadvertent, not

aimed at you or anyone else. It's perfectly acceptable to decline taking a part or all of communion in an Episcopal church.

That said, I've read bulletin notices saying that gluten-free communion wafers can be provided for those who need them. So I don't see why the same couldn't be done with wine, if advance-requested. It's true, however, that consecrating the bread and wine is an integral part of the communion ritual in the Episcopal church; more so than in most Protestant churches. Maybe this would present a minor problem (two flasks, perhaps?), but I can't imagine it's anything the priest couldn't figure out.

[RevCheesehead]

5. Most Methodist churches serve ONLY grape juice.

Methodism was very active in the Temperance Movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In order to help the church, one of its members, a Dr. James Welch, invented a beverage called grape juice.

And so it goes...

[Kat45]

7. That's very interesting.

My friend works for a man who's a descendant of the Welch's folks.

[murielm99]

12. One United Methodist pastor told me that

the Methodists were not as much against alcoholic beverages as they were against an unwise use of personal resources.

[Kat45]

8. My church, UCC, only serves grape juice.

I'm not sure when or why they switched from wine to juice.

[Critters2]

10. If it's a Congregational church, they probably did it at the time

of the temperance movement, as Methodist and Disciples did. I grew up in a German E church, but went to a Congregational seminary. So, my home church used wine, my seminary used grape juice.

I remember my first chapel communion service. Walking across campus afterwards, I turned to a classmate and said "That was really bad wine. I guess they use it because it's cheap." He looked at me like I had antennae and said "It wasn't wine. It was grape juice!". And all I could think was "Why on earth would anyone use grape juice for communion?"

Live and learn.

[Kajsa]

9. Thank God for grape juice!

I'm in recovery so it's a no-brainer for me.

It's grape juice or forget about it.

I love options!

;-)

[davidinalameda]

13. my church only does grape juice

cally-you're more than welcome to attend