“What kind of bread do you use for communion?
Over the years we've used the prepackaged wafers, matzah etc. Yesterday however we served goldfish crackers and grape juice. I am sure that the purists were upset, but we also had a baby dedication and were talking about the harvest, so I thought the goldfish were in good taste (so to speak).
Anybody ever use goldfish before?? i think we will do it again.”
The above quote is taken from a discussion forum made up of mostly Church of God (Cleveland, TN) persons. I have been a member for some time but rarely drop by and read it—and now I remember why.
This passage made me almost literally, physically sick. The very sacrilegious attitude displayed toward the Holy Supper is unbelievable. This person (a pastor I might add) has completely trivialized the Holy Sacrament. And much to my amazement there was very little rebuttal and a great deal of positive words toward this horrendous act.
Another pastor poster even had the impudence to say that the frosted circus crackers would be a good substitute. One hopes he was trying to be facetious (if that was his aim he failed miserably by joking about something which is certainly no joking matter); from his tone, however, I seriously doubt he was.
This has made me seriously question whether I can be in communion with a group that would allow such unholy desecration and heretical profanation of the Sacrament. I certainly would never take any such false communion myself. I cannot understand how our bishops can allow such a thing to continue. What would lead someone to so trivialize this most sacred act?
And then it hit me once again very hard: This is NOT the way the Church throughout the ages has believed or approached things. This is NOT the Apostolic doctrine or practice. It resembled in no way orthodoxy or orthopraxy.
Can anyone even imagine Justin Martyr calling goldfish crackers “the sacrifice which we offer?” Or Cyril of Jerusalem teaching the catechumens that goldfish crackers are “our supersubstantial bread?” What about St. Ignatius telling the Ephesians that partaking of goldfish “with an undivided mind, breaking one and the same bread, which is the medicine of immortality, and the antidote which prevents us from dying, but a cleansing remedy driving away evil, [which causes] that we should live in God through Jesus Christ?” (ANF 1:57)
It is for certain that none of these things could have ever happened.
It is not even up for question as to what was used in the First Communion Service—bread and wine. Now people can argue all day about unleavened v. leavened and wine v. juice but it is quite clear that it was bread and fruit of the vine. If we are to do things as Jesus commanded us, then we cannot change the elements to suit our tastes, the whims of our times, or even our congregations.
How inane it is for someone to even discuss the concept of taste when it comes to Communion. Does the bread taste better or worse? That is inconsequential. Jesus used bread; we shouldn’t seek to change it for the sake of taste or aesthetics.
It is clear from what I’ve said, I’m pretty upset over this matter. I just cannot believe it. Well, actually I can. With no guidance from the Church’s tradition or history, all kinds of deviations and blasphemy are not only possible but also probable. Lord, have mercy! When one throws out the sacredness of the sacred things, then nothing is safe. What next? And (although I don't want the answer), whither from here?
