Communion

The congregation of Finnsnes United Methodist Church in Finnsnes, Norway, joins passengers from the Hurtigruten commercial ferry in lighting candles in memory of loved ones to celebrate All Saints’ Day. Photo by Lise Løvland.

Norwegian church provides communion at the harbor

All Saints’ Day tradition connects congregation and community, offering people ‘a chance to see holiness in their own everyday lives.’

This 1869 oil painting by German artist Christian Carl August Noack depicts the Colloquy of Marburg, where Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli hotly debated how Christ is present in the Eucharist. The fight ultimately led to the first split among Protestant reformers. Public domain image from the Gymnasium Philippinum, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Reformation lessons for United Methodists

The 500th anniversary of the Reformation is this year. In their fight over Holy Communion, early reformers offer a lesson in how not to handle disagreement.

2013: Debating online communion

Should United Methodist churches offer Holy Communion online? The Council of Bishops approved a recommendation to call a halt for now to the practice of Holy Communion online and for further study of online ministries.

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