This week, I was asked a question by a church member who is unable to attend a New Church congregation: “Is it possible to meaningfully participate in Holy Supper at a local church that doesn’t offer traditional elements of bread and wine?”

To answer that question, it is useful to ask yourself what matters more: having the “right” elements and ritual, or understanding and living the spiritual principles that the Holy Supper represents? These are important questions for anyone seeking a genuine spiritual connection from this sacred practice.

The True Role of Representatives

The Holy Supper is what New Church doctrine refers to as a representative act: an outward ritual intended to point us toward invisible spiritual truths. In itself, this act, whether it involves bread, wine, or other elements, is not inherently holy. Rather, its role is to visually introduce us to a deeper spiritual concept: that genuine spiritual life requires us to receive the Lord’s good (love) and truth (wisdom) into our hearts and minds (Arcana Coelestia 2343, 4211).

What the Holy Supper Is and Is Not

It’s important to be clear that the physical act of taking Holy Supper does not in itself bring about, or guarantee, any spiritual change or connection with the Lord. The ritual does not work like magic or confer spiritual blessings simply by being performed, regardless of what elements are used. Its true function is to serve as a visible reminder, to focus our minds on the need for inward spiritual work: self-examination, repentance, and the willingness to accept good and truth from the Lord. The real receiving of the Lord, and true spiritual transformation, occur not in the ritual moment but in how you live, by searching your heart, turning from evils, and practising charity and faith in everyday life (True Christian Religion 702, 719).

Participating When the Elements Are Different

If your church uses different elements instead of traditional bread and wine, you can still participate with a full heart and clear conscience. While bread and wine have specific symbolic meanings (good and truth), substitutes do not change the Lord’s presence with you. The Lord’s presence remains unchanged from the highest heaven to the deepest hell; He is the same. What matters most is your internal focus, understanding and acknowledging what the elements represent and using the occasion to renew your intention to receive the Lord within through repentance and a life of charity. The outward form is secondary; the central thing is spiritual openness and sincerity (Arcana Coelestia 4211, True Christian Religion 702, 719).

Common Spiritual Traps

It is easy, especially when we are in the lower natural mind of our proprium, to fall into the habit of believing that the act of Holy Supper is holy in itself or that it can bring us closer to God simply through participation. This misplaces faith in the outward ritual and leads, gently but surely, toward a subtle form of spiritual idolatry. Such an approach reverses true spiritual order, expecting the external to create internal transformation, when in reality spiritual life must flow from within, when good and truth are received in a humble, repentant mind and lived out in daily action (Arcana Coelestia 1175, 1361, 10177).

Worthy Participation: Focusing on What Matters

The truly worthy way to approach the Holy Supper is with heartfelt preparation: honest self-examination, acknowledgement of one’s shortcomings, a desire to repent, and a continuing openness to the Lord’s guidance to love and truth. The ritual’s value lies in serving as a reminder and introduction to these deeper realities. Participating with this internal focus allows the Holy Supper to fulfil its intended purpose to return the mind to the inner presence of the Lord, regardless of the elements used.

The Living Meaning of Holy Supper

The Holy Supper is a beautiful and powerful representative act, but its holiness and spiritual effect depend on the state of your heart, not on the outward ritual or the exact elements consumed. The Lord looks to our willingness to be changed inwardly, to receive His good and truth through self-examination and repentance. By understanding this, you are free to participate genuinely in any church setting, using the ritual as an opportunity to renew your connection with the Lord through living spiritual practice. This, in the New Church view, is what truly honours the Holy Supper and leads to lasting spiritual conjunction.