I Go to a Free Church of Scotland Church |
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The Sacraments |
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Communion (the Lord's Supper) |
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| When a person comes to believe in Jesus for themselves, they will usually want to sit at the Lord's Table (take Communion). A service of Communion is held twice or three times a year. The Communion weekend usually starts on Thursday (or in some places on Friday) with special services and a visiting preacher. Friday night used to be the 'question night' when the minister gave out a Bible text and invited the men present to speak about their own experience. This is still practised in some congregations. | |
| In many congregations, after the Saturday night service those who hope to sit at the Lord's Table (take Communion) wait behind and receive tokens. These are small metal rectangles (of silver or pewter) bearing the words of Jesus 'This do in remembrance of me'. This was His command to His disciples at the Last Supper, which He had with them before He was crucified. On the other side of the token is the name of the congregation. It was a custom, in the past, for other congregations to join in, so many people who were not known to the Elders would attend. The tokens were a way of identifying those who were members in their own Church and should be at the Lord's Table. |
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Tokens |
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After the sermon, before the Communion service, there is a special talk known as 'fencing the tables'. The preacher explains the meaning of the service and tells about the type of people who should be at the Table and who shouldn't. Those who wish to take Communion move forward during the singing of a Psalm and, after handing over their token, they sit down at tables (pews covered with white cloths). |
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