The Lord's Supper Is Radical Hospitality?

This is my fourth post about my recent experience at a United Methodist Church. This post is about a practice Paul describes as, when done improperly, leading to sickness and death. Paul wrote:

"That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep (died)."

What is Paul talking about? Taking communion wrongly or with a wrong attitude.

Last Sunday at a United Methodist Church, in her introductory remarks to communion, the pastor described communion as being all about "radical hospitality". This was not a passing remark. "Radical hospitality" was described as the central theme of communion. Communion is ALL ABOUT RADICAL HOSPITALITY. (The death of Jesus Christ was never mentioned.)

But the heresy did not stop there.

When she invited people to come forward, she made a point of inviting ALL people to come forward.

Many churches practice an open communion. That means that if you are a believer, it does not matter what denomination you belong to, you are welcome to partake of communion. For example, the Catholic Church practices a closed communion. You must be Catholic to take communion in a Catholic Church.

This United Methodist pastor was not leading an open communion. She was inviting EVERYONE, believers and non-believers to participate in communion. I later spoke with her on the phone about this and she confirmed it. Everyone, without exception, was invited to take communion.

In our phone conversation she also confirmed that communion is all about "radical hospitality". I had not heard wrong or misunderstand what she said during the service.

The Book of Discipline, which is the United Methodist Church's manual describing what they believe and how things are done, says

Article VI, The Confession of Faith: "...we believe the Lord's Supper is a representation of our redemption, a memorial of the sufferings and death of Christ, and a token of love and union which Christians have with Christ and with one another. Those who rightly, worthily and in faith eat the broken bread and drink the blessed cup partake of the body and blood of Christ in a spiritual manner until he comes."

It says nothing about "radical hospitality" nor about communion being open to everyone, believers and non-believers. Communion is described as Christians rightly, worthily and in faith eating the bread and drinking the cup.

So what does the Bible say?

The Bible says that communion is for believers only, and it is very serious about this.

"For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself." -- 1 Corinthians 11:29

The Bible says that you must come to communion with the right attitude. For example, you are not to just treat communion as another meal or as an opportunity to eat. To take communion with an unworthy attitude is a very serious sin.

"Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord." -- 1 Corinthians 11:26

The Bible says that we take communion in remembrance of Jesus Christ and to "proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."

"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.'" -- Luke 22:19

"'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after supper he took the cup saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." -- 1 Corinthians 11:24-26

Paul goes on to say:

"A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep." -- I Corinthians 11:28-30

In this case United Methodist beliefs, as described in the Book of Discipline, accurately reflect the Bible.

Why does this pastor depart so radically from the Bible? I'll give you my thoughts on that in a future post.

But I also must ask, why does the United Methodist Church allow heresy to be preached in two of their churches? (This person pastors two churches.) Why do the members of these churches not speak out???? Are there any Christians in these churches?