communion
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,784
I take communion also, with real wine, which now tastes bad to me - but I do it for the right reasons and not for a 'buzz'. I don't see that you're doing anything wrong. Just my opinion.
I'm here to learn!
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: I'm on it!
Posts: 2,038
I agree with least -- it's the heart of the matter that counts.
You have to do what's right with your own conscience though. Maybe bring it up to the pastor or priest and see if they can stock something other than wine for you if it really bothers you.
You have to do what's right with your own conscience though. Maybe bring it up to the pastor or priest and see if they can stock something other than wine for you if it really bothers you.
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
Please look up the word.....transubstantiation
Many churches offer both wine and grape juice if you are concerned. Mine gives only grape juice tho.
Glad to know you are staying sober...
Many churches offer both wine and grape juice if you are concerned. Mine gives only grape juice tho.
Glad to know you are staying sober...
Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Posts: 15,238
Wine is wine which is what I enjoyed
the most when I drank. And it was Red
Wine in a cold glass.
In recovery, if wine is offered in church,
Id have to pass because wine is poison
whether if it's in church or not.
My HP who guides me, protects me in
all my affairs knows all about me and
not drinking wine is in my honest opinion
is something He wouldnt want me to do.
Wine, Alcohol is all poison and to drink
even a sip would kill me. 21 yrs ago,
alcohol and my addiction to it nearly took
my life. Recovery has given me my life
back. My purpose to live happy and alcohol
free.
My recovery means too much to me to place
myself in a situation as in church to drink wine
that would begin the insanity that goes along
with drinking.
the most when I drank. And it was Red
Wine in a cold glass.
In recovery, if wine is offered in church,
Id have to pass because wine is poison
whether if it's in church or not.
My HP who guides me, protects me in
all my affairs knows all about me and
not drinking wine is in my honest opinion
is something He wouldnt want me to do.
Wine, Alcohol is all poison and to drink
even a sip would kill me. 21 yrs ago,
alcohol and my addiction to it nearly took
my life. Recovery has given me my life
back. My purpose to live happy and alcohol
free.
My recovery means too much to me to place
myself in a situation as in church to drink wine
that would begin the insanity that goes along
with drinking.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,445
as a Catholic, I believe in transubstantiation...but if I'd found that I began thinking about the wine , or looking forward to it, or thinking about drinking again in other situations, or anything along those lines I'd have to reconsider it strongly.
D
D
Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,193
I think it's your intent and beliefs that matter. If you believe that in that context it is actually blood and not wine then you are not even drinking wine. If you are doing it to follow a religious teaching you believe in, even if you don't believe it's blood (I am not religious any more at all but I grew up in a church that took communion with grape juice and did not believe it actually was blood, just a symbolic gesture/following of what Christ instructed... I do understand there are different religious beliefs about the purpose and meaning of communion), then I personally still don't believe you're breaking your sobriety. But as others have said if you are doing at all for an excuse to drink or if you think it would be triggering, then I would stay away. I think this is a time where you have to decide which belief takes priority. If you believe it as a religious issue then you shouldn't have a problem but if you believe your sobriety needs to come first and there are other ways to observe the religion or maybe you could just take a break while you consider it... that would be best. These are just my opinions and I read a book (I believe it was "Drinking: A Love Story", or maybe it was a Heather King memoir, I'm not sure), about a recovering alcoholic who became Catholic during her recovery and takes communion with wine with no problems to her sobriety. I understand this and I think this is an issue between you and your god/religion. 
Best wishes.
Best wishes.
Guest
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,452
Last year I took communion, and as soon as my taste buds tasted the wine, I new I shouldn't have taken it.
I knew it was wine, and I shouldn't have had any.
For me, it set up a craving for more.
I can still remember having a desire to go shopping and by wine after church that afternoon. Maybe there is some part of me that figured why not, I already blew it, to my innermost self.
As much as I said it was ok, ...for me, knowing I should never drink, it was a bit sinister. It's like when you know you are doing something wrong and you do it anyway...that's how I felt.
I guess I thought I was getting away with it somehow. Again, this is my experience. What happened for me. Not saying for or against it for anyone else.
I wound up talking to my sponsor about it at that time, and she told me we can't have alcohol in any form at all.
I told someone else and the said, "you shouldn't have done that."
I had about 4 months sober at that time.
One day, I can't recall how many days it took.
My mind said, this is nuts, go get some beer. You can have a beer if you want to. Everyone drinks beer.
I don't know if having communion wine set up this relapse or if I would have drank anyway...
but that's my experience with communion and sobriety.
I knew it was wine, and I shouldn't have had any.
For me, it set up a craving for more.
I can still remember having a desire to go shopping and by wine after church that afternoon. Maybe there is some part of me that figured why not, I already blew it, to my innermost self.
As much as I said it was ok, ...for me, knowing I should never drink, it was a bit sinister. It's like when you know you are doing something wrong and you do it anyway...that's how I felt.
I guess I thought I was getting away with it somehow. Again, this is my experience. What happened for me. Not saying for or against it for anyone else.
I wound up talking to my sponsor about it at that time, and she told me we can't have alcohol in any form at all.
I told someone else and the said, "you shouldn't have done that."
I had about 4 months sober at that time.
One day, I can't recall how many days it took.
My mind said, this is nuts, go get some beer. You can have a beer if you want to. Everyone drinks beer.
I don't know if having communion wine set up this relapse or if I would have drank anyway...
but that's my experience with communion and sobriety.
SR Fan
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 7,910
A while back, I was singing in an Episcopal church and didn't think about the wine until I got up to the rail. I ended up dipping the wafer so that it barely touched the wine in the chalice - it was the best thing I could think of at the time!
I still cook with vanilla and see no problem with it, but I've heard some people insist that would cause a relapse. I think it's up to you and what you feel comfortable with.
I still cook with vanilla and see no problem with it, but I've heard some people insist that would cause a relapse. I think it's up to you and what you feel comfortable with.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,146
Well, on the good side this time you didn't throw up blood and yellow bile like before.
If you discovered you were allergic to nuts to the point where you threw up blood and yellow bile and it was traditional for your church to hand you a Ritz cracker with a little peanut butter spread thinly over the top to choke down, and all around you the other attendees who have no reaction to nuts were crunching on their crackers, what would be the smart thing for you to do?
If you discovered you were allergic to nuts to the point where you threw up blood and yellow bile and it was traditional for your church to hand you a Ritz cracker with a little peanut butter spread thinly over the top to choke down, and all around you the other attendees who have no reaction to nuts were crunching on their crackers, what would be the smart thing for you to do?
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Australia
Posts: 3,597
I go to two churches that offer communion. One church has little thimble sized cups of both wine and grape juice - there's no sharing of a communal chalice. I take the grape juice. This started after I told the minister I don't drink and is it possible to use juice instead. He was happy to make the accommodation and turns out several other people prefer the juice to the wine too.
In the other church, the minister dips the bread in the wine and places it on one's tongue. He might be more liberal with others but he pretty much just wafts it over the wine in my case. This minister knows I'm an alcoholic.
In the other church, the minister dips the bread in the wine and places it on one's tongue. He might be more liberal with others but he pretty much just wafts it over the wine in my case. This minister knows I'm an alcoholic.
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