Reformed Presbyterian Minutes of Synod 1995 - Rparchives.org

REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHto fulfil the promises of the covenant, but they also summon us to all theduties of the children of God and call us to renewed consecration in gratitudefor His salvation."9.2 The minister should then declare who may come to the Lord's Tableand who are excluded, according to the Word of God, drawing attention tothe words of warning and invitation in 1 Corinthians 11:27ff."It is the duty of the church to warn those who do not love the Lord JesusChrist or who are in other ways secretly or openly living profane, scandalous,and impenitent lives before God, that they not approach the Table of theLord and so partake unworthily, not discerning the Lord's body, and so eatand drink condemnation to themselves. The Lord's Supper is for repentantand believing sinners, who, after due self-examination, come confessing Christas their Savior. The warning is not designed to keep the humble and contriteaway from the Table of the Lord, as if the Supper were for those who aresomehow free from sin. On the contrary, we who are invited to partake ofthe symbols of Christ's broken body and shed blood, come as guilty andpolluted sinners without hope apart from the grace of God in Christ. Incommuning, we confess our dependence for pardon and cleansing upon theperfect sacrifice of Christ, basing our hope of eternal life upon His perfectobedience and righteousness, and humbly resolving to deny ourselves, crucifyour old natures, and follow Christ as becomes those who bear His name. Letus therefore, in accordance with the admonition of the apostle Paul, examineour minds and hearts to the end that we may partake to the glory of Godand to our growth in the grace of Christ."10. During the singing of an appropriate Psalm (Pss. 24 and 116 areespecially suitable), the people should be invited to come to the Supper,either to tables or to a suitable part of the auditorium, as custom andconvenience would indicate.10.1 When the communicants are seated, the minister should pray,thanking and praising God for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, and theredemption which He has purchased and applied to His people, andsanctifying and blessing the elements of bread and wine set before him,having first, in a few words, shown that those elements, otherwise common,are now set apart and sanctified to this holy use, by the word of institutionand prayer:(a) Humbly and heartily acknowledging how great our sins and miseries are,and how great our unworthiness of the least of God's mercies, especiallyredemption in Christ, the means of grace, and this sacrament now beingobserved.(b) Exultantly and enthusiastically professing that there is no other nameunder heaven by which we can be saved, but the name of Jesus Christ, byHM