| 1 A PRACTICE OF CHRISTIAN Unity ADULT SMALL GROUP BIBLE STUDY The Faith Formation Ministries Team, with special thanks to coauthors Irene Bakker (d. 2012) and Syd Hielema, offers churches this five-session, downloadable Bible study based on 1 Corinthians 11. We pray that it will serve to enrich and strengthen your congregation’s participation in the Lord’s Supper and lead to a healthy discussion of the topic of children’s participation in the sacrament. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations in this publication are from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. A Practice of Christian Unity © 2015 Faith Alive Christian Resources, 1700 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49508-1407. All rights reserved. With the exception of brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this curriculum may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher. For information or questions about use of copyrighted material please contact Permissions, Faith Alive Christian Resources, 1700 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49508-1407; phone: 1-800-333-8300; fax: 616-726-1164; e-mail: [email protected]. We welcome your comments. Call us at 1-800-333-8300, or email us at [email protected]. CONTENTS Introduction 4 This is Church 5 “And When Your Children Ask You…” 7 Celebrating the Lord’s Supper in the CRC 10 Joyfully Obeying Paul’s Instructions Part 1 14 Joyfully Obeying Paul’s Instructions Part 2 17 4 | INTRODUCTION Participating in the Lord’s Supper is one of the highlights in our walk with God. Every time I hold out the bread to a worshiper and say those precious words, “The body of Christ, broken for you,” I’m deeply moved by what I see in the person’s eyes: longing, hope, peace, hunger. What a miracle! Through that little piece of bread comes nourishment that provides healing for the past as well as “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow” (“Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” st. 3). The main goal of this Bible study is to strengthen your congregation’s participation in the Lord’s Supper. Part of the blessing of communion is regular, frequent observance, but frequency may also serve to diminish the wondrous mystery of the sacrament. These five lessons reflect on the character of the church, the Old Testament roots of the Lord’s Supper, and the traditional and contemporary practices of Reformed denominations, paying special attention to Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. A secondary goal is to enhance the scriptural literacy that participants will need in order to address the topic of children at the Lord’s Supper. Christian Reformed synods have examined the issue of children’s participation in the sacrament many times in the past thirty years, and we have never been able to come to a clear consensus concerning this matter. Other Reformed denominations have also examined and debated the presence of children at the table. The issues are complex and are further complicated by the wonderfully deep emotional freight that the sacrament carries. It is our prayer and hope that these Bible studies will make space for gentle reflection on this important matter. DISCUSSION TIPS If you are working through this study with a preexisting group, dive in! If you are new to each other, begin by taking some time to share the things that have led you to this study. Are there particular convictions or experiences that are especially motivating you to examine issues related to the Lord’s Supper? The lessons do not assume that one person is the official leader of the group, but you may find it helpful to appoint a leader or take turns facilitating. These lessons do not require homework before meeting, but it would be wise to appoint one person to study each lesson in advance to provide guidance during the discussion. These lessons provide suggested time limits for each section, and if you take them too seriously, you will likely find these suggestions frustrating. Your group will know which parts of each lesson need more time, and will adjust accordingly. If a particular lesson evokes a great deal of interest and discussion, feel free to use two sessions to complete it. | 5 1 THIS IS CHURCH CORE POINT The church is called to be (among other things) the family of God where people find welcome and community. FEELING WELCOME (10 MINUTES) Some say the combination of good food, lots of fun, and loving friends makes for a welcoming atmosphere. I’m sure you have fond memories of times like that. Growing up, I experienced many celebrative Chinese banquets seated at round tables with family and friends. Conversation and laughter flowed freely as we enjoyed traditional ten-course meals. n Take time to share a memory or two of a time when you felt welcomed, accepted, and at home. Recall the details: What specifically did people do that created such a warm and welcoming atmosphere? Unfortunately, many of us have also experienced times of inhospitality. Once when I was visiting a church, no one extended their hand to me when it came time to pass the peace. What a contrast to another congregation in which all leave their seats to pass the peace to everyone else. n Describe a situation in which you felt unwelcome and awkward at a worship service. What effect did those feelings have on your time of worship? WHAT IS CHURCH? (5 MINUTES) One of the finger plays that I recall reciting as a little girl goes like this: “This is the church, this is the steeple, open the door and see all the people.” My mother would help me clasp my small hands to create a church building: the index fingers formed the steeple, the thumbs served as the door, and the rest of the fingers were the people. Some of the many biblical images that describe the church include “the people of God” and “the family of God.” Being part of a church community means being there for each other through life’s circumstances. One night I listened intently as a friend shared her fears. Her daughter was about to leave home and start college. Would she make the transition? Would she seek out Christian friends? Just a few years earlier, I had been in the same space. After we talked and prayed together, I thought, “This is church.” 1. Describe an incident or situation in which you thought, “Yes, this is church!” 2. How would you define church? What do you mean when you say, “I’m going to church?” COMMUNITY IN THE EARLY CHURCH (10 MINUTES) Let’s take a step back to the beginning of the church and look at some of its earliest stories recorded in the book of Acts. Before Jesus left this earth to ascend into heaven and sit at the right hand of his heavenly Father, he promised to send his Holy Spirit to empower his disciples to be his witnesses. On the day of Pentecost this promise was fulfilled, and the Holy Spirit filled the disciple Peter with such bold speech that about 3,000 people believed and were added to the church. The believers then formed a community. 6 | Read Acts 2:42-47 aloud. 1. List behaviors of members of the early church. Which words and activities emphasize the unity experienced in those days? 2. Many biblical commentators agree that the phrase “breaking of bread” in verse 42 refers to communion. How does participating in communion complement all the other activities that Luke mentions in this passage? Is there a direct connection? 3. How does the church in Acts 2 compare with the way you defined church in the previous section? 4. What positive behaviors were evident in the church of your childhood or the church you now attend? UNITY IN THE EARLY CHURCH (10 MINUTES) The importance of unity in the early church community is shown in the extreme discipline exercised in the case of Ananias and Sapphira and the revision of the “church order” when the Grecian widows were overlooked. 1. Read Acts 5:1-11. One of the central characteristics of the early church in Acts was caring for the poor and needy. Recognizing this, Ananias and Sapphira pretended to give all that they had earned to the church, thereby turning what was intended to be a selfless pointer to the deep love in the church into a selfish attempt to receive admiration. What does the severity of the discipline they received tell us about the character of the early church? 2. Read Acts 6:1-7. The “church order” was revised when the Grecian widows were overlooked. What does this indicate about the unity of the early church? 3. Recall a time when your church restructured its way of being church together in order to include everyone more fully in the blessings of life in Christ. What was done? What effect did this change have? UNITY AND HOSPITALITY (10 MINUTES) This series of Bible studies focuses on the relationship between unity in the church and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. The specific Bible passage that deals most concretely with this issue 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, and subsequent lessons in this series carefully look at the ways in which this teaching addresses divisions in the Corinthian church. To prepare for that discussion, this first lesson has focused on unity and hospitality. We’ll end by reading several New Testament passages. Invite various members of the group to read the following passages: John 17:20-26; Hebrews 13:1-3; Ephesians 4:1-5; Romans 12:9-16; James 2:1-13.