The Moravians of yesteryear celebrated the Holy Communion once a month. Before receiving the Holy Communion members of the community had to first “speak” with their assigned elder.
The purpose of the “speaking” or “sprechen” was to lay bare the state of ones soul.
If the elder perceived a backsliding they would seek to restore the communicate to grace. If there were no change in behavior or attitude the person could be excluded from the Lord’s Table or even from the community itself. The purpose of the “speaking” was not, however, exclusion but the maintenance of a living relationship with Christ.
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