Holy Communion is this Sunday.

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 Holy Communion. I Corinthians 11: 26 & 28

Two words from the NT illuminate the Sacrament.

1.  "  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come."

Show is katangello means pronounce, proclaim the Lord's death till He come.  Hebrews 9:15-16 " He is the Mediator of the New Covenant, by means of death...for where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator."

Robert Bruce , 5 Sermons on the Sacraments:"  The Sacrament is appointed that we may get a better grip of Christ nor we get in the simple word.  The Sacraments are appointed that I might have Him more full in my soul."

Who is to take?  Confirmed people, that is those who have professed faith in Christ with the Elders, the Session & they have publically joined the Fellowship/Church.

---"the feast of Passover, the Old Testament type of the Lord’s Supper, “did not admit all guests indiscriminately,but was duly eaten only by those who were old enough to be able to inquire into its meaning.” The allusion here is to Exodus 12:26ff: “and it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? that ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover. . . .”; an instruction that developed into the Haggadah recited at the Passover seder. Something similar is said of the conjoined Feast of Unleavened bread in Exodus 13:8,”and thou shalt show thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.”  Gavin Dunbar

2.  " But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup." vs 28

"Failure to do so will result in communicating unworthily"-Leon Morris

to test, by implication to approve ( Biblehub)

Usage: I put to the test, prove, examine; I distinguish by testing, approve after testing; I am fit.

to show something is acceptable (real, approved); put to the test to reveal what is good (genuine) Bible hub

In the words of an ancient catechism, " It is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, that, during the the time of the administration of it, with all holy reverence, and attention they wait upon God in that ordinance affectionately meditate on His death and sufferings, judging themselves, and sorrowing over sin, in earnest hungering and thirsting after Christ, feeding on Him by faith, trusting in His merits, rejoicing in His love, in renewing of their covenant with God, and love to all the saints."

----as we conclude perhaps a list of self-examination is helpful.

pride, irreverence, sentimentality( being satisfied with pious feelings and beautiful ceremonies without striving to obey God's will, presumption, distrust , disobedience, impenitence, vanity, arrogance, snobbery, anger, envy, covetousness, gluttony, lust, and sloth- From ST Augustine's Prayer Book

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