I have always understood Communion mainly as remembering what Jesus did. Bread and wine point back to the cross. That explanation feels straightforward, which is probably why I have not pushed on it very much.
The problem is that other Christians take the same passages much more literally. Catholics say Christ is really present. Lutherans also speak strongly about his Body and Blood. Reformed Christians describe a real spiritual participation. A symbolic memorial is only one answer among several.
WHAT I AM STUDYING
I am beginning a long look at the history of the Eucharist. I want to start with the Last Supper and Paul, then see how Christians closest to the apostles describe Communion.
I am also trying to separate two questions: what Christians believe happens in the Eucharist, and how the outward form of worship develops over time.
A FEW THINGS I AM LEARNING
The disagreements are not just about wording. “This reminds us of Jesus” and “this is a real participation in Christ” are different claims.
I am also realizing that later practices do not automatically tell me what the earliest belief was. I need to work backward carefully.
WHAT I AM STILL UNSURE ABOUT
The Catholic answer still sounds too literal to me. Bread looks like bread. Wine looks like wine. I do not yet understand how Catholics explain that without denying what my senses tell me.
WHAT I WANT TO LOOK AT NEXT
I want to read the New Testament passages together instead of building everything on one sentence from the Last Supper.