In the modern church experience, starting "I don't know when because I don't want to research that minutia", the Lord's Supper is equated with communion, the eucharist. It's a rite celebrated with a small piece of bread or wafer and a small sip of grape juice or wine. Sometimes it's offered by a priest, pastor or "qualified" lay person. Other times it's offered and self-administered. In almost all cases--I believe this is worldwide--it's presented as a solemn remembrance of Christ's sacrifice. It's liturgy is based on Luke 22.14-22 and I Corinthians 11.23-29 ("...therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner...").
What Christ celebrated in the gospel accounts was a Passover meal, a Seder. It had more than just bread a single cup of wine: note that Luke 22.17, 20 describe 2 of the suggested Passover cups. The immediate question could be: shouldn't we at least drink a eucharistic cup twice?
Paul's discussion of the Lord's Supper begins in 1 Corinthians 11.20 and it starts with a "Therefore..." He had been discussing disunity within the church body: differing practices and mores, squabbles and arguments. His discussion concludes with another form of disunity: the church is not celebrating the Lord's Supper when it is not sharing their meals with those around them. He describes persons and families who are eating the food they brought to the church gathering/assembly (ekklesia) and not sharing it because they are hungry, and then they get drunk. He admonishes them to just stay home to eat and drink. Coming to the church gathering without sharing, especially with the poor and others in need, is a disgrace and brings shame on those who need to beg you for help. Then Paul goes on to the next familiar verses to illustrate that even in Christ's hour of upcoming pain and betrayal shared bread and wine with the one who would betray Him. So couldn't we share food and drink with the unfortunate among us?
Likewise the word Paul uses for the Lord's Supper (deipnon) is the same word used in Christ's parables and teaching regarding inviting poor people to feasts and banquets as opposed to how the religious leaders (and King Herod) throw feasts and banquets only for the important people offering seats of honor to special guests. In particular look at the parable in Luke 14.16ff. How then should we look at the description of a Lord's Supper? Isn't it similar to how Paul describes an occasion that is abused in 1 Cor. 11?
What if the modern church returned to some 1st century roots where the least, last and lost were invited to a meal, at least monthly--Acts describes daily gatherings of potluck meals-- by the people of Christ's body? What message of inclusion, acceptance, justice, peace within Christ's body would be communicated to our communities and the world at large if we practiced this?
