St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

In our "Questions to the clergy" slot, John will try to answer any query you throw at him, without hesitation, deviation or repetition...

Yeast in communion bread?

Q. Why do we have white bread, which is made with yeast, for our communion at St Luke’s?

A. We have communion services in churches today because this was the way Jesus commanded his followers to remember him, at the Last Supper, on the night before he died.

At that meal Jesus would have used unleavened bread, because the Jews used to follow the instructions in the Old Testament (Exodus 12) for their Passover meal.

There are Christians today who believe that we ought to use unleavened bread because Jesus did so. Many churches use wafers for this reason. Wafers are also a lot easier in that they don’t go mouldy and therefore you can buy a stock and keep them in church. (However, they are more expensive than ordinary bread.)

However, most Christians believe that Jesus did not mean that the bread for communion always had to be unleavened; but rather that he was just using the bread which was to hand at the time. The fact that Jesus said “Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me” (1 Cor 12:25), and also the fact that the early church used to have communion quite frequently, shows that it is more likely that Jesus meant that the meal was to be a fellowship meal rather than particularly a passover meal.

The Church of England has always thought that it doesn’t matter whether the bread is leavened or not. In the Book of Common Prayer (p261-262) it says “to take away any superstition which anyone might have concerning the bread and wine, it shall suffice that the bread be such as is usual to be eaten; but the best and purest wheat bread that conveniently may be gotten.” In other words, hygiene is important, but the yeast doesn’t matter.

Nowadays there is no problem with hygiene, and many people (including me) think that wafers give a misleading impression because they don’t look or taste like bread. I have heard of churches which get unleavened bread in loaves, and even one which has its bread from the local Indian restaurant!

Q. Do you think children should be allowed to take communion?

A. Yes, I do, because of the same reasons as above. There weren’t any children present at the Last Supper because Jesus and his twelve disciples were away from their own families. If we thought we had to do communion exactly as in the Last Supper then we wouldn’t allow children to be present. But both the Passover meals of the Jews and the fellowship meals of the early church were for whole families - and I think the modern communion service should be inclusive as well.

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. June 2000, Page 6.
Home Page. Index of articles. Questions: index, Confidentialities, Yeast at HC, Jerusalem. In this issue: (June 2000) Vicar's letter, Shepherd? Question, C of E Finances.	In our "Questions to the clergy" slot, John will try to answer any query you throw at him, without hesitation, deviation or repetition... Yeast in communion bread? Q. Why do we have white bread, which is made with yeast, for our communion at St Luke’s? A. We have communion services in churches today because this was the way Jesus commanded his followers to remember him, at the Last Supper, on the night before he died. At that meal Jesus would have used unleavened bread, because the Jews used to follow the instructions in the Old Testament (Exodus 12) for their Passover meal. There are Christians today who believe that we ought to use unleavened bread because Jesus did so. Many churches use wafers for this reason. Wafers are also a lot easier in that they don’t go mouldy and therefore you can buy a stock and keep them in church. (However, they are more expensive than ordinary bread.) However, most Christians believe that Jesus did not mean that the bread for communion always had to be unleavened; but rather that he was just using the bread which was to hand at the time. The fact that Jesus said “Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me” (1 Cor 12:25), and also the fact that the early church used to have communion quite frequently, shows that it is more likely that Jesus meant that the meal was to be a fellowship meal rather than particularly a passover meal. The Church of England has always thought that it doesn’t matter whether the bread is leavened or not. In the Book of Common Prayer (p261-262) it says “to take away any superstition which anyone might have concerning the bread and wine, it shall suffice that the bread be such as is usual to be eaten; but the best and purest wheat bread that conveniently may be gotten.” In other words, hygiene is important, but the yeast doesn’t matter. Nowadays there is no problem with hygiene, and many people (including me) think that wafers give a misleading impression because they don’t look or taste like bread. I have heard of churches which get unleavened bread in loaves, and even one which has its bread from the local Indian restaurant! Q. Do you think children should be allowed to take communion? A. Yes, I do, because of the same reasons as above. There weren’t any children present at the Last Supper because Jesus and his twelve disciples were away from their own families. If we thought we had to do communion exactly as in the Last Supper then we wouldn’t allow children to be present. But both the Passover meals of the Jews and the fellowship meals of the early church were for whole families - and I think the modern communion service should be inclusive as well. John Hartley
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