"Taking Communion To Shut-Ins"
The Lord's church has always
followed the pattern found in the New Testament concerning the worship
service on the first day of the week. That pattern indicates acceptable
worship includes singing, praying, giving of our means, partaking the
Lord's Supper, and preaching or teaching via the Scriptures. That's commendable
and normally accepted throughout our brotherhood.
Those members who are ill or
shut-in cannot attend the worship service. Thus
they are not accountable for that which they can not do. However, they
often
request or we offer to take the Lord's Supper to them whether it be at
home, in a nursing facility, or in the hospital. This appears reasonable
and a good work.
But why not engage in other expressions (acts) of worship? When we only
take the Lord's Supper, it may indicate that we look upon this expression
of worship as "sacrament" similar to the Catholics. A short devotional
which includes other
acts of worship, would be both scriptural I and edifying. Let's be careful
that
we do not develop a practice that becomes so traditionalized that improvement
c
an never be recognized. I'm not advocating we stop taking the Lord's Supper
to the shut-ins but I am suggesting we can do more if their condition and
surroundings permit such activity
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