• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer

Receive The Miscellany in your mailbox

Learning Now: Notebooking • Pumpkins • Classic Poetry

Sallie Borrink

  • Blog
    • Recent Comments
    • Tags
  • About
    • Meet Sallie
    • Subscribe
    • My Doctrinal Beliefs
    • The Study & Reference Library
    • My Telegram Page
    • Make a Donation
  • Homeschooling
    • Learn About Relaxed Homeschooling
    • Homeschool Planning
    • Back-to-Homeschool
    • Picture Book Activities
    • Unit Studies
    • Printable Poetry
    • Creative & Visual-Spatial Learners
  • Free Printables
    • All Free Homeschool Printables
    • Free Christian Printables
    • Free Homemaking Printables
    • Free Map Printables
    • Free Printable Word Searches for Kids
    • Free Counting Puzzle Printables
    • Free Printable Memory Games
  • Family Culture
  • Theology
  • Gifted & 2e
  • The Shop
    • Browse The Shop
    • Your Cart
    • Your Account Details
      • View Your Orders
      • Go To Your Downloads
      • My Account
    • Lost Password Help
    • Digital Products Terms of Use
You are here: Home / Christian Theology Deep Dives / Institutional Church & the Body of Christ / Why Does Baptist Communion Feel Like a Funeral?

Archives

Stained glass picture of Jesus leading the last supper and communion

Why Does Baptist Communion Feel Like a Funeral?

Tuesday, April 15, 2025 (Updated: Friday, August 28, 2026)
1 Comment

Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure statement.

Why is communion in a Baptist church (or similar Protestant church) like a funeral?

This was the question posed to me by my daughter. She made the observation that if people were passing by outside the church and could hear the music, they would think it was a funeral going on.




Why is a Baptist or Protestant observation of the Lord’s Supper still so much like the Roman Catholic medieval practice?

Why do we follow the traditions of man instead of what we see happening in the New Testament?

Frank Viola discusses communion multiple times in Pagan Christianity .

Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church PracticesPagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church PracticesPagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices

He has an entire chapter on baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

For the early Christians, the Lord’s Supper was a festive communal meal. The mood was one of celebration and joy. When believers first gathered for the meal, they broke the bread and passed it around. Then they ate their meal, which then concluded after the cup was passed around. The Lord’s Supper was essentially a Christian banquet. And there was no clergyman to officiate.

Today, tradition has forced us to take the Supper as a tongue-tickling thimble of grape juice and a tiny, tasteless bite-sized cracker. The Supper is often taken in an atmosphere of solemnity. We are told to remember the horrors of our Lord’s death and to reflect on our sins.

So how did we go from a Love Feast that was celebrated with joy to the present day ceremony presided over by clergy?




Why is communion like a funeral? And should it be?

Category: Institutional Church & the Body of ChristTag: Pagan Christianity

About Sallie Borrink

Sallie Schaaf Borrink is a Christian, wife, mother, homeschooler, homebody, and autodidact. She owns a home-based graphic design and web design business with her husband (DavidandSallie.com).

You Might Also Like

What Is Church And Why Do We Go?

Pagan Christianity | Frank Viola and George Barna

The Quest for the Perfect Church

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kris

    Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at 7:46 pm

    I always wondered why it was this way. I was always of the impression it was a solemn occasion in Matthew and in the other gospels. It should be a celebration of what Jesus did for us and his resurrection.

    Reply
  2. Kris

    Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at 7:46 pm

    I always wondered why it was this way. I was always of the impression it was a solemn occasion in Matthew and in the other gospels. It should be a celebration of what Jesus did for us and his resurrection.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

Thank you for your comment. I read and appreciate each one even if I am unable to respond.

Sidebar

Sallie Schaaf Borrink

I’m Sallie — Christian, wife, mother, just-retired homeschooler, homebody, and autodidact. Our little family lives a quiet and cozy life of home education, self-employment, and pithy exchanges. I’ve been writing here for 20+ years about Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. And I like to laugh. A lot. Start here. ♥ 

Categories

Popular Today

  • Popular-Today-List-Avatar-SB-GIRL-80x80The Study & Reference Library
  • Anna Sofia Botkin and Elizabeth Botkin ThompsoThe Botkin Sisters Offer Apology for “So Much More”
  • Squirrels Word SearchFree Squirrels Word Search Printable
  • Being Bound By Denominational Creeds and Confessions SIMPLETheologically Trapped By Denominational Confessions and Creeds
  • Miss SuzyMiss Suzy | Picture Book Activities
  • Woman reading a Bible in a parkVaccine Shedding and Church Attendance
  • Sheep in a barn looking at the cameraExplaining My Doctrinal Beliefs
  • Popular-Today-List-Avatar-SB-GIRL-80x80My Doctrinal Beliefs
  • Bundle of violets or violas tied with a white ribbon on a vintage letterWhat Comes Next for a Retired Homeschool Mom
  • Free September Calendar Skills Printable Activity for KidsFree September Calendar Skills Printable Activity for Kids
  • Camping Word SearchFree Camping Word Search Printable
  • Blank map of the world for homeschoolingFree World Map Printable for Homeschoolers
  • Year Round Relaxed Homeschooling and Living By The Seasons SIMPLEYear Round Relaxed Homeschooling and Living By the Seasons
  • Return of the Daughters by Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin POSTThe Return of the Daughters | Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin
  • The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling a Right-Brained Child SIMPLEThe Ultimate Guide To Homeschooling A Right-Brained Child



What Can I Help You Find Today?

Home

About Sallie

Contact

Privacy Policy

Disclaimers & Disclosures

Subscribe

Make a Donation

Tags

My Telegram

My Printables Shop

My Account

Cart

Lost Password Help

Digital Products Terms of Use

Relaxed Homeschooling

Free Printables

Family Culture

Unit Studies

Copyright © 2005–2026 · Sallie Borrink · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme

Scroll Up
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.