Leaning upon Jesus: Restoring Heart Language to the Lord’s Supper

While Churches of Christ (a cappella) have historically given prominence to the Lord’s Supper by observing it weekly, that observation has become ritualized and formulaic over time, often impeding the worshiper’s heartfelt “communion” with the Lord. With its analysis of contemporary worship in Churches of Christ (a cappella), biblical narratives of Jesus meals, and church history, this study reflects the recent scholarly interest in the Lord’s Supper among scholars of that tradition and urges church leaders to restore the affective, vertical dimension to Communion practice.