Sacreligious Sighting (gross!)

[Ironclad Alibi]

I was raised in a church that used grape juice for communion. And every church I had taken communion in up until I was about 20 also used grape juice, always in the individual cups. (Well it was in the deep south in the 60s, and I grew up in a dry county.) While in college, I went to one church service where they did communion from a chalice. I did not know that they used wine instead of grape juice. When I took a sip from the chalice, my reaction was almost like that in the OP, but fortunately I kept it under control.

[bhskittykatt]

Ummm dumb question-do kids drink the wine?

(was brought up Uniting Church of Australia which doesn't do communion)

Roman Catholic here. After your First Communion, kids can take the wine (around age 7 or 8, iirc). It's literally just sip (though I've seen some adults take big gulps from the chalice and practically empty the thing ). The wine is optional...after you take the host, you don't have to take the wine. If I am sick, I will skip the wine as a courtesy to others.

When the First Communion class is happening, the kids will make their own bread, and I think they use sparkling juice in place of wine. I always hate it, because instead of a little wafer for the host, it's more like a cookie. Note: you are supposed to swallow the host whole. When the priest handed me this giant chunk of cookie-like substance, I was thinking, "WTF? How am I supposed to swallow that?!?!?"

[Can I Help Your A$$?]

My church used Wonder-Bread instead of a host. You could call it a post-hostie!

Not strange that the wonder bread entirely summed up my feelings about that church. I would think Jesus would be at least whole-wheat, if not stone-ground.

[ShadowBall]

The church I used to go to only gave people wafers; the priest was the only one who got wine, and he got a whole chalice full. Even when I was about 10, my only thought was, "Dammit, why's he get to drink? I need a drink to get through this!" No, I did not like being in church - one of many reasons why I quit following the faith forced upon me.

At the Ukrainian church my relatives go to, communion involves some kind of weird stuff that looks like applesauce swimming in oil and it's fed to everyone with a spoon. Same spoon for everyone and not so much as wiped off between spoonfuls. Needless to say, I never get communion when I have to go to this church.

What was described with the wine and coughing was gross, but I understand there are a couple reasons why it may have happened and they've all already been said.

[lolad]

Some churches use grape juice. Some use individual cups, other (esp Catholic in my admittedly limited experience) use the chalice.

I was brought up in the Uniting Church and we used grape juice (which was interesting when it went off once) in small individual glasses which were washed and reused next time.

There was a chalice but it's use was only ceremonial and wasn't filled or drunk from.

[Eisa]

Yeah, that's so gross.

When I went to church [ah, so many years ago ], they used the little individual cups and it was just grape juice.

I felt bad for almost looking forward to it sometimes...just for the grape juice.

[42_42_42]

Episcopalian here. At my church the children do take the wine, although generally by intinction (dipping the wafer in the wine). It's left up to the parents as to when their children switch from the priest's blessing to taking part in the bread and cup, from what I've seen, it's usually around 3-4. I know at that age, I was taking communion and I did understand the significance of it. I am one of the teachers of the children's Sunday school (ages 4-9) and we teach the meaning of communion in our class. The only "rule" we really have is that you have to be baptised to participate in communion. My sister did not have her children baptised as infants, so when my nephews (13 and 11) visit, they get the blessing from the priest. The older nephew really wants to be able to participate, but his parents don't think he's old enough to do Believer's Baptism, which would mean he'd be joining the church (they go to a Baptist church w/ their dad and a Methodist church w/ their mom).

[Nyoibo]

A couple of times when I've gone for communion it's been some sort of fortified wine in the chalice, that can take you by surprise as it's got a kick like a mule.

I had my confirmation when I was about 9 or 10 I think and yes we get wine (for Firehearts questions as we live in the same area.)

[fireheart]

A couple of times when I've gone for communion it's been some sort of fortified wine in the chalice, that can take you by surprise as it's got a kick like a mule.

I had my confirmation when I was about 9 or 10 I think and yes we get wine (for Firehearts questions as we live in the same area.)

thanks for the clarification-I guess it's a case of YMMV. (never baptized, but my family is Uniting Church of Australia which is a mix of Presbyterian and Methodist. We attended regularly until my sister was born (I was 3) and then I went sporadically after that usually when I stayed the night with grandparents)

I wouldn't be able to actively take part in communion unless it was grape juice. Two different medications + alcohol=not a good combination.

[Nyoibo]

I think you can refuse the wine and just recieve the wafer, otherwise you could just recive the blessing.

[42_42_42]

I think you can refuse the wine and just recieve the wafer, otherwise you could just recive the blessing.

Correct. You don't have to partake of the wine, just taking the wafer is fine.