Let me draw your attention to a small change we have made in how we celebrate Holy Communion. You may not have noticed it—and even once it is pointed out, it may seem minor—but it reflects something important about what Scripture teaches us about Communion. My hope is that, once you see it, its meaning will become clearer.

In First Corinthians 10:16–17, the Apostle Paul writes:

“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (ESV)

Paul’s emphasis here is not only on what we receive, but on what our sharing in it signifies. Communion is a participation in Christ—and at the same time, a participation with one another. Because we all partake of the same bread, we are united as one body.

For that reason, the visible form of the meal matters. The Lord’s Supper is sometimes called a “visible word”—a sign that helps us see the gospel as well as hear it. When the bread is clearly one, and is broken and shared, it reinforces what we believe: that we who are many are one in Christ.

In many churches, including our own until recently, individual wafers have been used for practical reasons. There is nothing wrong with that practice. However, it can make it harder to see the connection Paul is describing.

Now that our supply of those wafers has run out, we have begun using a single large wafer, which is broken into pieces for distribution. This better reflects the biblical picture of “one bread.” When you receive a piece, you can see that it comes from a shared whole. It is a small but meaningful way of reminding us that we are not isolated individuals, but one body in Christ.

The same principle applies to the cup. Although we use more than one chalice for practical reasons, the wine is consecrated together before it is distributed. In this way, what we share still comes from one cup, pointing to our common participation in Christ.

This change does not alter what we believe about Communion. Rather, it helps the sign more clearly express the reality it points to: that in the Lord’s Supper, Christ gives himself to his people, and gathers us together as one body in him.

Everything we do in worship is meant to serve that purpose—to make the truth of the gospel clearer to us. If you ever find yourself wondering why we do something the way we do, I would be glad to talk with you.