What is Threefold Communion?
Growing up in church, I was familiar with the practice of foot washing and the bread and cup, but it wasn’t until I was an adult and had moved away from home that I heard the phrase “Threefold Communion.” Threefold Communion is the practice of foot washing, a love feast, and the bread and cup all in one service. Although it can be done at any point throughout the year, our church always has a Threefold Communion service on Good Friday as a way to remember and celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection.
This type of communion service is typically not as well attended as regular church services, and I believe it is mainly because people who aren’t familiar with the practice don’t know what to expect. Since we have just finished the Easter season, I thought I would share a bit about what threefold communion looks like in my church and why people see value in doing it.
Foot Washing
After washing their feet, He put on His robe again and sat down as asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them. John 13:12-17
I have a big confession to make- I used to avoid services that included foot washing. As an introvert, there are just too many unknown factors involved in foot washing. Who will I end up sitting by? Who will wash my feet? Whose feet will I wash? What if my feet are ugly? What if their feet are ugly? What if I do it wrong? What if I spill something? What if it’s awkward? The list can go on and on.
The churches I have attended have always split the men and women into separate groups for foot washing, for various reasons. I remember the fist time I attended a foot washing service- I was about 12 years old and attended with my mom. A friend of ours washed my feet, and I in turn washed hers. I didn’t fully understand the meaning behind it then, but it was clear to me that this practice was an emotional time for some of the women in the room.
I had successfully managed to avoid foot washing for several years, but last year there was a service in which I simply had no reasonable excuse not to participate. Since that moment, my opinion of foot washing has changed. Yes, it is awkward. Honestly, I think it’s awkward for everyone, no matter how many times they have done it before. There is a level of vulnerability that must be achieved in order to allow someone to wash your feet. The vulnerability, honest awkwardness, and humility that occurs during the foot washing process is exactly what makes it so special.
In that room, we are a group of diverse people with one common denominator- Jesus. In that room, we choose to swallow our pride, deal with our insecurities, and humble ourselves in order to follow the example of Jesus Christ when He washed the feet of His disciples. As we serve each other and allow ourselves to be served, we are reminded of the figurative ways we should carry out this process with each other every day. It is a beautiful reminder of how we are to daily give up or own desires, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. (Luke 9:23)
Love Feast
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:23
I’m convinced that one of the most important spiritual disciplines for us to recover in the kind of world in which we live is the discipline of table fellowship… Christian spirituality has something important to say about the way that sharing tables nourishes us both physically and spiritually. Barry Jones, The Dinner Table as a Place of Connection, Brokenness, and Blessing, DTS Magazine, October 1, 2015
The love feast (also called Agape Meal) is a meal shared among believers, and was a practice Jesus often shared with his disciples. It is an expression of fellowship, love, and community within the family of God. All of God’s people from all walks of life join together around one table (or many smaller tables) and partake in a meal, celebrating the common bond they all share.
Some people like to think of the love feast as a reflection on what is to come. Throughout the Bible, there is mentioned a feast in heaven several times. Isaiah 25:6 talks about a feast for the people of the world when sin an death are finally vanquished. In this aspect, the love feast represents hope and victory to come.
No matter the interpretation, the love feast is a wonderful time of fellowship. In context of the threefold communion, we typically have the love feast after foot washing. Sometimes we have a simple meal of soup and bread, while other times we have a potluck.
Bread and Cup
As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then He broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, ‘Take this and eat it, for this is my body.’ And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, ‘Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and His people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.’ Matthew 26:26-28
The bread and cup are probably the most practiced element of the threefold communion. Many churches and denominations have their own beliefs and ways in which to partake of the elements. Although my church does partake of the bread and cup outside of threefold communion, I will admit that it is much more meaningful when done as a part of the threefold communion service.
The two churches I have attended for the majority of my life, although different denominations, have a similar approach to the bread and cup. They are viewed as a symbol of Christ’s death on the cross as a living sacrifice for our sins. The bread I’ve taken in communion has ranged from sweet bread to unleavened bread to cheeze-it crackers. The type of bread is not important, it’s the meaning of it that matters. For wine, the churches I have attended use grape juice in tiny little communion cups.
Before the elements are taken, there is usually time for self-reflection. This is the time where we reflect upon what Jesus did for us on the cross and our relationship with Him. Sometimes we take each element together as a group all at once, and other times we are left to take the elements whenever we feel we are ready during the time of self-reflection.
Why does it matter?
As Christians, we are called to become more and more like Jesus. In order to be more like Him, we must follow His example. He made it a point to practice the different elements of threefold communion, and we should too. There is a reason for everything Jesus did here on this earth, and there is a reason why He calls us to do certain things. It certainly isn’t for His own benefit- He doesn’t need us or anything we could possibly offer Him.
He calls us to do these things out of obedience to Him because He knows that it will grow us closer to Him and to other believers. It will develop a deeper understanding of ourselves, our relationship with Him, and our relationship with others. I don’t know about you, but if it was important for Jesus, it is important for me.
Word of caution
So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died. 1 Corinthians 11:27-30
Communion is a reverent act of obedience and remembrance and is a beautiful act of worship for believers. However, if you are not a born-again believer or are not sure, I highly caution you to take the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians seriously.
