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Most Christian denominations follow Jesus’ words at the Last Supper – to take bread and wine as an act of worship, remembering his death on the cross.

However, there are many variations between churches today regarding how and when this should be carried out and the religious meaning behind it. There are also a variety of names used, such as the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist, Mass and the breaking of bread.

For this topic, we will contrast the Brethren (Protestant tradition) with the Roman Catholic Church.

The breaking of bread in Brethren assemblies

• The Brethren is a denomination which seeks in its worship and practice to return to the simplicity of church life in New Testament times. They believe that the Bible must be obeyed in every area of life.
• Brethren churches are independent, each one being run by its members. Because of this, what they do will vary from one church to another. A local congregation is called an assembly and the building in which it meets is called a gospel hall. The Brethren have no ministers. Each assembly is run by a group of elders who care for the spiritual needs of the people. They are assisted by deacons who look after practical things, like repairs to the building.
• The communion service is called the breaking of bread and it takes place each Sunday morning. It is regarded as the most important service of the week. The Brethren believe that only committed Christian believers who have gone through believer’s baptism should take part in the breaking of bread service. In addition to the communion service there will also be Sunday worship, open to all.

How the breaking of bread service is conducted

• For the breaking of bread there is no leader, no written order of service and no set structure. Every church member is an equal and people can take part as they sense God’s direction.
• It is believed that God will guide first one, then another of the men in the assembly. They will read a passage from the Bible, pray, share something they feel God has taught them or choose a hymn for everyone to sing. This is known as ‘open worship’ and it is probably very close to the sort of communion service held in New Testament times.
• For this service, the seats are usually arranged around a simple table on which is placed a white cloth, an ordinary loaf of bread and a large cup or chalice containing the wine.
• During the service, someone will pray specifically to lead the people in a prayer of thanksgiving. Then one of the men will go to the table and break the loaf, putting the pieces on one or more plates. These are passed from hand to hand, each person breaking off a small piece and eating it. In the silence, everyone thanks God that they are united with Christ and with each other.
• Then the wine is poured and another prayer of thanks is offered, this time for the wine which represents the blood of Jesus shed at his crucifixion.
• The service ends with a closing prayer and hymn.

The meaning of the service

At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, broke it and shared it around. Then they all drank from a cup of red wine.

Jesus told his disciples the broken bread would remind them of his broken body and the wine would remind them of his blood when he died on the cross.