The fourth principle to dying well is to partake of the Lord’s Supper. The fifth principle is to relieve your loved ones of difficult decisions.

If Christ’s death is so central to Christianity, then the thankful celebration of that death, as instituted by Christ Himself, is profoundly important. 

“Since the time of the early church, participation in the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist, has played a special role in the spiritual practices of those who wished to die well. Priests and pastors have taken the bread and the wine to homes, hospital wards and hospices so that those who were close to death could take part in this simple but wonderful act . . . the Lord’s Supper points not only backwards in time to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. As we receive this precious gift and eat and drink, we are also pointing forwards beyond the grave towards the coming again of Christ and to our participation in the wedding celebration feast of the Lamb. As the apostle Paul said, ‘As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes’ (1 Corinthians 11: 26) . . . “as we approach the ends of our lives on earth, physical participation in the Lord’s Supper represents a simple but profoundly significant acknowledgment of our utter dependence on Christ,”” — Dying Well: Dying Faithfully by John Wyatt

There are four different understandings of the meaning and significance among Christians of the Lord’s Supper. There is transubstantiation, the official teaching of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy wherein the wine and bread become the blood and body of Christ. A second view is consubstantiationism and was the view of Martin Luther and the understanding of Lutherans today. Luther argued that rather than changing completely, the substance of the bread and wine coexists with the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist. Jesus Christ is therefore present in, with, and under the bread and the wine whenever the Lord’s Supper is celebrated. A third view is the memorial view taught by Huldrych Zwingli around at the time of Luther in the sixteenth century. Christ commanded us to “do this in remembrance of Him,” and that is all it is: an act of remembrance. The bread and wine are merely symbols, reminding us that Christ’s body was broken for us, and His blood was shed for us. This is the view of many evangelical Protestants and Southern Baptists.

Finally, there is the fourth view – the Spiritual or Reformed view of the Lord’s Supper. John Calvin’s view (16th century) took strong issue with the Roman Catholic view, but he definitely didn’t agree with Luther either. At the same time, he thought Zwingli’s view didn’t go far enough. The Lord’s Supper is more than just a memorial, Calvin believed. It is certainly symbolic, but the symbols do more than merely represent; they actually bring to us into the presence of Jesus Christ and His benefits. Those who eat the bread and drink the wine in faith are, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, actually nourished by the body and blood of Christ. When we eat and drink together as brothers and sisters, Christ’s Holy Spirit is present, too. This means that the risen Lord Jesus Himself truly meets us when we come to His table. This is the view of Reformed churches and some Southern Baptists. It is also my personal view.

There was an interesting article in the Baptist Times in 2005 entitled “COMMUNION FOR THE DYING”
Baptist Times 17 November 2005
It was not until recently that, after 35 years of Christian ministry, I had my first experience of taking communion to a dying person. Does this say something about the way in which many Baptists regard communion? Significantly, it was not a member of my church who requested communion – but rather Jim from across the road, who belonged to a church currently without a minister. When I arrived, I found relatives had gathered around the bedside. Although it was only two hours before that I had agreed to bring communion, people had just dropped what they were doing to be present. Clearly, for them, this was important.

In the early 1990s while working in Saudi Arabia, I spent three months fellowshipping one-on-one with a converted Muslim Mutawa (a religious policeman for the enforcement of Sharia law). It was too dangerous for him to fellowship openly with the underground church and he would meet one-on-one with me for church. His desire was to celebrate communion with me literally every time we met. That powerful experience gave me new appreciation for the importance and significance of celebrating communion.

The Lord’s Supper should be regularly observed by the dying – especially those who are homebound and unable to attend group worship. If you are caring for the dying, regularly offer them the Lord’s Supper. How many does it take to participate in the Lord’s Supper? The answer is found in Matt 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Two people is enough (i.e., my experience in Saudi Arabia).

With incredible medical advances, our generation faces challenges that did not exist in previous generations. It is possible to medically keep one somewhat alive artificially now for prolonged periods. But it is a fantasy that medical treatment can indefinitely prolong life in ths fallen world. There can be very difficult decisions to “pull the plug” that should never be thrust upon your loved ones. A Living Will relieves your loved ones of difficult decisions. You should address a number of possible end-of-life care decisions in your living will. Some passages to consider: John 19:26-27 and 2 Tim 4:6-16.

The pastor of Moody Bible Church in Chicago was asked this question. His surprising reply follows.

Q: What do you think Christians can do to be more realistic about death?


A: This summer I spoke to a Christian oncologist who has presided over the death of thousands of cancer patients. I asked him about the difference between Christians and non-Christians in facing death. He surprised me by saying that the unbelievers are often more realistic; they accept that they will die. Christians often refuse to face death, believing that there will be a last-minute miracle. He told me stories of Christians who died without talking to a spouse about the funeral or family business. They kept thinking, “If I talk about death, that means I am expecting to die… If I don’t talk about it, I will show my faith in the Lord and He will do a miracle.” But they died nevertheless. It’s important for Christians to realize that preparing for their own deaths isn’t tempting death or showing lack of faith in God—these are preparations we will all need someday, and the responsible Christian won’t let this burden fall on his or her relatives.(Pastor of the Moody Bible Church in Chicago, Dr Erwin Lutzer)

Read what Ignatius wrote to the Roman church while enroute to his martrydom in Rome:
“For if you, shall be silent in my behalf, I shall be made partaker of God. But if you shall love my body, I shall have my course again to run. Wherefore ye cannot do me a greater kindness, than to suffer me to be sacrificed unto God, now that the altar is already prepared . . . Suffer me to be food to the wild beasts, by whom I shall attain unto God. 3 For I am the wheat of God, and I shall be ground by the teeth of the wild-beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of Christ. Rather encourage the beasts, that they may became my sepulchre, and may let live nothing of my body; that being dead I may not be troublesome to any.”” – Epistles of St. Ignatius: Seven Letters: Ephesians, Magnesians, Trallians, Romans, Philadelphians, Smyrnaeans & Polycarp by Ignatius of Antioch

Quality of Life?
Or
Length of Life?

The choice should be yours – not the doctor’s. It should also be dependent upon circumstance, obligations and responsibility. (i.e., my refusal to accept an implanted defibrillator at my age when my children are now gone and I know my wife will be cared for. But I would have made a different decision at the age of 30 when I still had young children and a wife to care for.)

Part 7 is here