The Communion Song

The Communion song is sung by the congregation during the reception of bread and wine. One of the most important features of worship renewal today is the recovery of the Communion song. In Communion song the congregation sing songs of resurrection, victory, and the reign of Christ. These songs shift Communion from a preoccupation with the death of Christ toward a celebration of the Resurrection, and from private introspection to communal celebration. Consequently, the importance of the Communion song sung by the entire congregation during the administration of bread and wine cannot be overemphasized. The purpose of the Communion song is threefold. First, it expresses the unity of the church as all the people sing together. This is not a time for instrumental music or choir anthems or song. Second, the Communion song organizes the spiritual experience of the congregation by ordering their memory of both the death and the resurrection of Christ. The first song or two may dwell on the…