Some object to taking the Lord’s Supper to the sick and shut-ins. The Claim is made that it can only be taken when the saints are gathered together. But there seems to be no objection to taking it on Sunday night, and most certainly “all the brethren” are not back for Sunday night. Do you have a view on this subject??? Joe Mitchell
The communion is one of the five acts of worship in the Lord’s Day assembly. Any child of God unable to attend the assembly on the first day of the week is no more required to observe the Lord’s Supper outside of that assembly than he or she is required to participate in the other four acts of worship. However, I am unaware of any reason why any of the acts of worship cannot also occur outside of a particular assembly of the saints; if it is not permissible to observe the Communion outside of the worship assembly, then it is the only act of worship with this restriction. Further, if the Communion or Lord’s Supper may not be observed outside of a particular assembly of saints, it is the only act of worship requiring a quorum to observe.
The principle of Matthew 18:20 seems to validate the possibility of two or more Christians being a sufficient quorum that when circumstances require that all of the acts of worship on the first day of the week may be engaged. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). In addition to application to the infirm, suppose Christians are traveling in parts of the world where there are no congregations of the Lord’s church assessable; may they worship on the Lord’s Day, including observance of the Lord’s Supper? Were the missionary teams of Paul, Barnabas and others in the first century or more recently able to worship on the Lord’s Day in the absence of a congregation nearby?
Personally, I do not encourage taking the Communion to Christians unable to attend, anymore than I insist the collection plate be taken to them, they be preached to and that they sing hymns. Yet, neither do I refuse the request of brethren for the Lord’s Supper to be brought to them, as I know that it is a matter of conscience and peace of mind with them.
Incidentally, the saints are never all gathered at one time in one place, though that is the goal. Someone is always missing for one reason or another (or for no reason at all). If we waited for all of the saints to gather, we never would observe the Lord’s Supper, and the Lord’s Supper is only one of five acts of worship. Shall we refrain from worship altogether until all saints show up at the same time; we would never worship!
