Communion goes by a lot of namesEucharist, the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, the Lord’s Table, the Divine Liturgy, Mass. Different traditions explain what’s happening at the table in different ways, but here’s the shared heartbeat: Christians don’t take Communion because we ran out of sermon ideas and decided to start snack time.
We take Communion because Jesus gave it to his people as a regular, physical, repeatable way to remember him, receive grace, stay united, and keep the gospel front-and-centerright where our easily distracted hearts can’t miss it. (Yes, even the hearts that can remember a 12-digit password but forget why we walked into the kitchen.)
Quick Roadmap
- Reason #1: Jesus told us toobedience that shapes discipleship
- Reason #2: We remember (and re-enter) the story of Jesus
- Reason #3: We give thanksand learn gratitude with our whole selves
- Reason #4: We receive grace and spiritual nourishment for the journey
- Reason #5: We commune with Christreal participation, not a mere concept
- Reason #6: We become one bodyunity, reconciliation, and social mission
- Reason #7: We proclaim hopeuntil he comes again
Reason #1: Jesus Told Us To (And That Matters More Than Our Mood)
One of the simplest reasons we take Communion is also the most underrated: Jesus commanded it. At the Last Supper, he didn’t say, “Try this sometime if you’re into spiritual hobbies.” He gave bread and a cup and told his disciples to continue this practice in remembrance of him.
In a culture that treats commitment like a subscription you can cancel at 2 a.m., Communion is a steady act of obedience. It teaches the church to say, week after week (or month after month), “We don’t belong to ourselves. We follow Jesus.” And the beauty is that this obedience is not bare complianceit’s a command that comes wrapped in mercy.
Specific example
When a church includes Communion regularly, it forms people over time. The table becomes a “north star” practicesomething you can return to when your faith feels foggy. You might not have the perfect week, the perfect prayer, or the perfect attention span. But you can still obey the invitation: come, receive, remember.
Reason #2: We Remember the Whole GospelNot Just a Vibe
Communion is remembrance, but not the “scroll through old photos and cry” kind. It’s a deep, communal remembering of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, and what that means for us right now.
Christians have always needed this because our memories are… ambitious. We remember what someone said to us in 2017, but forget what God has done for us since forever. Communion is God’s way of putting the gospel into our weekly rhythm so we don’t drift into “self-help with Bible verses” or “try harder spirituality.”
Specific example
Think of Communion like a repeated, embodied summary of the faith. The bread and the cup don’t lecture you, but they do teach you: Christ gave himself for you; salvation is a gift; your hope isn’t your performance. That message reshapes the way you handle guilt, success, suffering, and even ordinary Mondays.
Reason #3: We Give Thanks (Eucharist Literally Means “Thanksgiving”)
The word Eucharist comes from a Greek term tied to thanksgiving. That’s not a cute trivia fact; it’s a spiritual strategy. Communion trains gratitude at the deepest level: gratitude not just for “nice things,” but for the gift of Christ himself.
Gratitude is hard when life is chaotic. It’s hard when you’re grieving, or stressed, or burned out, or doing that thing where you pretend you’re fine because your group chat has enough drama already. Communion doesn’t deny realityit anchors gratitude in a reality stronger than your week: God has acted decisively in Jesus.
Specific example
Many churches include prayers of thanksgiving before Communion. Over time, those words rewire how people interpret their lives. Instead of “God helps those who help themselves,” Communion teaches: “God helps the helplessand calls them beloved.”
Reason #4: We Receive Grace and Spiritual Nourishment (Yes, It’s Food on Purpose)
Communion is not only something we do; it’s also something we receive. Across many traditions, the Lord’s Supper is described as a means of gracea God-given channel through which the Spirit strengthens faith.
Christians debate the “how” of Christ’s presence at the table, but many agree on the “why”: God knows we are embodied creatures. We don’t just need ideas about grace; we need grace that meets us where we livein bodies that get tired, hearts that get anxious, and minds that wander mid-prayer to what we’re eating later.
Specific examples across traditions
- Catholic and Orthodox Christians commonly emphasize a profound, real encounter with Christ in the Eucharist and the mystery of God’s self-gift.
- Many Reformed traditions emphasize Communion as a Spirit-empowered participation that strengthens believers and confirms the promises of the gospel.
- Many Baptist and evangelical churches emphasize Communion as an ordinance that powerfully reminds believers of Christ’s sacrifice and calls the church to renewed faith and love.
- Many Methodists describe Communion as sustaining graceawakening and renewing believers in the life of Christ, often with an emphasis on God’s welcome.
The point isn’t to flatten meaningful differences. The point is to notice what they have in common: Communion is not a trophy for the spiritually impressive. It’s food for pilgrims.
Reason #5: We Commune with Christ (Not Just Think About Him)
“Communion” is a bold word. It suggests more than memory. It suggests fellowship, participation, unionthe reality that Christians are not merely fans of Jesus, collecting inspirational quotes like trading cards.
At the table, the church confesses that Christ is not distant. The Lord’s Supper is a repeated proclamation that Jesus is for us and with us. It’s a practice that turns faith from a purely mental exercise into a lived relationship.
Specific example
If you’ve ever prayed and felt like your words hit the ceiling and fell back down, Communion speaks in a different language. It says: “LookGod gives. Receive.” That doesn’t manufacture emotion, but it does ground trust. And for many people, that’s exactly what they need.
Reason #6: We Become One Body (Unity, Reconciliation, and a Faith That Leaves the Building)
Communion is personal, but it is never merely private. The table makes a claim about community: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body.” In other words, Communion is a unity practice.
That unity is not the shallow “we all like the same worship songs” kind. It’s the costly unity of people who have been forgiven and are learning to forgive. That’s why many churches include confession, peace-making, or self-examination alongside Communion. The table has a way of exposing the nonsense we use to keep people at arm’s length.
Specific examples
- Reconciliation: Communion can prompt hard but holy conversationsapologizing, making peace, refusing to let bitterness become your personality.
- Care for the vulnerable: The Lord’s Supper reminds the church that love for neighbor is not an optional side quest. It pushes faith outwardtoward generosity, justice, and tangible care.
- A shared identity: At the table, people from different ages, incomes, backgrounds, and stories receive the same gift. It’s hard to treat someone as disposable when you just shared the same bread.
Reason #7: We Proclaim Hope “Until He Comes”
Communion points backward (to the cross) and inward (to faith), but it also points forward: until he comes. The Lord’s Supper is a repeated act of hope.
This matters because Christian hope is not vague optimism. It’s not “everything happens for a reason” stitched on a throw pillow. It’s the conviction that the crucified and risen Jesus will complete what he startedrenewing creation, judging evil, wiping tears, and bringing the fullness of his kingdom.
Specific example
In many traditions, Communion is described as a foretastea preview of the future feast of God’s people. That future focus can change how we live now. We become more patient. More resilient. More willing to suffer for what’s good. More committed to love when cynicism feels easier.
How to Take Communion in a Meaningful Way (Without Turning It Into a Performance)
Communion is simple, but it isn’t casual. Here are a few grounded ways people approach the table thoughtfullyacross many Christian traditions:
- Prepare with honesty: A short prayer like “Lord, have mercy” can be more spiritually accurate than a long speech.
- Remember the gospel: Communion is not about proving you’re worthy; it’s about confessing you need grace.
- Seek reconciliation: If you’re nursing conflict, consider taking a step toward peace (even if it’s small and awkward).
- Look outward: Let the table send you into lovegenerosity, patience, hospitality, service.
- Respect your church’s practice: Some churches practice “open table,” others practice forms of “close communion.” Don’t treat those differences like a Twitter debatetreat them like something handled with pastoral care.
Conclusion: The Table Is SmallBut the Meaning Is Huge
Communion doesn’t need flashy packaging because it already carries a staggering claim: God meets his people with grace through a simple meal. We take Communion because Jesus commanded it, because we need the gospel remembered and received, because gratitude must be trained, because grace nourishes us, because Christ draws near, because the church must become one, and because hope needs a repeated, edible proclamation until the day Jesus returns.
In a world that constantly tells you to curate your identity, Communion tells you to receive one: you belong to Christ, and you belong to his people. That’s not escapism. That’s formation. And if you do it long enough, the table follows you out the church doorsinto how you forgive, how you work, how you spend, how you suffer, and how you love.
Real-Life Communion Experiences (About )
Ask a roomful of Christians what Communion “feels like,” and you’ll get answers as varied as coffee orders. Some people describe it with quiet reverence. Others talk about it like a weekly reset button. A few will admit, sheepishly, that they sometimes spend the whole time hoping they don’t spill the cup on their nice shirt. (Spiritual maturity is real, but so is gravity.)
For many, the first powerful Communion memory isn’t dramaticit’s surprisingly ordinary. A teenager watches adults step forward with seriousness and realizes, “Oh… this matters.” A new believer takes the bread with shaky hands because the words “for you” finally sound personal. Someone who has been stuck in a cycle of shame hears the invitation to the table and feels the difference between condemnation and conviction: one crushes you, the other calls you home.
In some churches, Communion happens weekly, so people can track their lives by the table. One week, you come joyful. Another week, you come tired. Another week, you come numb because grief has turned your heart into a quiet room with the lights off. And yet the practice stays steady. Bread. Cup. Promise. Over time, that steadiness becomes its own kind of mercy. It tells you that God’s faithfulness isn’t synced to your emotional battery level.
People also talk about Communion as a community mirror. You can’t easily romanticize the church at the table because the church is right there in front of youreal people, real burdens, real awkwardness, real beauty. You notice the older man who always moves slowly but still comes forward. You notice the single mom who looks exhausted but sings anyway. You notice the kid who can’t stop fidgeting (and you realize you fidget on the inside). The table quietly insists: this is your family. Not because everyone is easy, but because Jesus is faithful.
Some of the most memorable Communion experiences happen outside the “perfect” Sunday setting. A hospital room. A small group gathered around a kitchen table. A service after a tragedy. In moments like that, the Lord’s Supper can feel like God’s stubborn refusal to abandon his people. The bread and cup don’t explain suffering, but they do locate it: right next to the cross, and under the promise of resurrection.
And then there are the “growth” momentswhen Communion exposes a grudge you’ve been petting like a favorite hobby. When you realize you’ve been receiving grace while refusing to extend it. When you understand that unity isn’t a slogan; it’s a practice. Many people describe leaving Communion not with fireworks, but with a clear next step: send the text, make the apology, forgive the debt, show up again, serve quietly, keep hope alive.
That’s the strange power of a simple meal. It’s small enough to fit in your hand, but big enough to shape your life.
