Communion

The Lord’s Supper is the sacrament of communion with Christ and with His people, in which bread and wine are given and received in thankful remembrance of Him and His sacrifice on the Cross; and they who in faith receive the same do, after a spiritual manner, partake of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to their comfort, nourishment, and growth in grace. All may be admitted to the Lord’s Supper who make a credible profession of their faith in the Lord Jesus and of obedience to His law. (Basis of Union 2.16.2)
The above comes directly from The United Church of Canada’s Twenty Articles of Doctrine. As it states, The Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion is one of the two sacraments of The United Church of Canada, and because of that it is a very important part of our tradition. It means a lot to us and we hope it means a lot to you as well.
As with Baptism, The Lord’s Supper is something quite special. It’s more than just a time of remembering what Jesus did, and it’s more than just a celebration of the gift of Grace. When we gather at the table, we do so with every Christian of every time and place. When we eat the bread and drink of the cup, we are doing so with Christ and all his followers.

 

How often do you celebrate communion?
Holy Communion is celebrated at various times throughout the year including, the seasons of Advent, Lent, Easter and World Communion Sunday (October). It takes place during regular worship.

Do I have to be a member of Park Royal or The United Church of Canada?
No. In some traditions, one must become a member in order to take part in Holy Communion, but in The United Church of Canada we celebrate an Open Table. This means that all present are welcome to come to the table. This includes everyone regardless of race, age (kids too!), gender, sexuality, or where they are on their faith journey. We acknowledge that the table around which we gather is not actually ours. We don’t have the right to discourage anyone from eating of the bread or drinking of the wine (grape juice). This is because the table belongs to Jesus Christ, and He welcomes all. We strive to make sure all feel free to come and share in the celebration.

Do I have to take Communion?
No. Sometimes we serve the bread and the juice to people in their seats. Other times we invite them forward to receive the items at the front. If you’d rather not take part then you don’t have to. If you want to learn more about why we take Communion then you can speak to one of our ministers. We want you to feel comfortable and to understand what’s happening so please don’t hesitate to ask.

***Along with making sure people feel welcome at the table, we want them to be able to eat and drink when they get there. If you have a gluten sensitivity or allergy, or if you are allergic to red dye (found in red grape juice) please let us know before the service either by phone: (902) 894 9656 or letting one of our ministers know. At the moment we always have a gluten free option and we use red grape juice for Communion.

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