When I was in the PCA (the Christian Reformed Church also does something similar), the BCO instructed Teaching Elders to alert the congregation that the sacraments would be administered the following week. With this formality, how can the Reformed Church ever overcome her unbiblical ways? How can the church claim the apostolic witness of continually breaking bread (Acts 2:42)? The proper sacramental preparation occurs every week as God’s people confess their sins before God and prepare to be nourished in word and sacrament.
Interesting. Had lunch with a Baptist friend (fellow chaplain) recently, and this topic came up. You know, of course, that I’m in favor of weekly communion. My friend is more in favor of making it valuable to the congregation, and thus not doing it weekly (else it loses its value in their eyes). I respectfully and biblically disagreed, so you can imagine the disagreement between a Presby and a Baptist, especially since you’ve been both!
As for the PCA BCO issue, remember also that the PCA historically is a Southern Presby church, coming out of the deep South. This is not to say the PCA is wrong in how it does this, as much as it’s a reflection of the culture, as much as women wearing hats on Sunday, and not being seen going to the movies, or drinking, etc. I compare it to the current need the PCA has to putting something down in print regarding multi-campus churches, which are the thing in urban areas. Utterly unknown 40 years ago when the seeds of the PCA were being planted. But needed now!
So there’s good and bad here, dogg, as always… ð
Yeah, you are on target about the Southern Heritage of the PCA. It permeates everything.