Communion & Baptism at CHC

Communion

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." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”    Luke 22:19-20

At Christian Heritage, we participate in communion very often. We do so because communion is vital to maintaining our health as a church, reminding us that Jesus is the center and we as people are not. It is because of the suffering of Jesus, represented symbolically and spiritually in the elements, that we have access to God’s grace and forgiveness. Communion puts before our eyes and our hearts the indescribable depth of God’s love for us despite our flaws. It reminds us that God’s grace did not come cheap, nor should it be cheapened by a misdirected focus on our parts. Jesus told his disciples that his broken body (the bread) and his spilled blood (the cup) represent a new covenant – a new promise that God will look to Christ’s death as the necessary penalty paid for our sin. We don’t have to do anything but accept that as the beautiful life-changing truth. Communion helps us renew that acceptance. Bottom line, it brings us back to center.

Two more important things:

1.       We believe that communion is more than just a memorial. We believe there is a powerful spiritual connection to Christ available to us when we partake of the elements.

2.       To maintain unity in the midst of the diversity of convictions about alcohol, we use grape juice to symbolize the blood of Christ.

Baptism

 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”  Matthew 28:19

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.  Romans 6:4

Baptism is equally important to us, if only for the fact that Jesus told us to do it. But it’s important for deeper reasons. It has the same effect on our focus in following Christ, leading us to the cross and even to the tomb as we identify with Christ’s death and resurrection. Baptism is an identification with Christ in death to the “old self” and rebirth as a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17). In baptism, we “die” with Christ in going under the water and are “reborn” victorious over death as we break through coming out. As a powerful spiritual symbol, baptism tells the new believer that their death for sin and to sin was an achievement Christ completed, a reality that guides his or her new life. And so it serves as a retelling of the central story of Christianity, not only to the baptizee, but to those observing.

FYI: Baptism services are currently held quarterly on Sunday mornings, the dates of which are on our online church calendar.