I gotta have my orange juice.

The Lord’s Supper should be part of every Lord’s day liturgy. Worship in the Bible always takes place at a table. An altar is a table (cf. Ezek 41:22), and ever since the flood the people of God have erected altars at places of worship (Gen 8:20; 12:7–8; 33:20; Exod 20:24).

If you could see an ancient Israelite preparing for a feast, you’d see him pick an unblemished animal from his flock or herd, prepare flour or bread, and grab a flagon of wine. If you didn’t know better, you might suspect he’s preparing for a barbecue. Because he is. At the tabernacle and temple, priests offer the Lord’s bread and worshipers share His food (cf. Lev 21–22). Covenant renewal climaxes with a covenant meal, a sign of restored harmony between the parties to the covenant.

Biblically, worship without a meal isn’t worship at all. When we worship without the Supper, it’s as if we’re disciples on the road to Emmaus, who hear Jesus speak but never recognize Him because we don’t stick around for the breaking of bread (Luke 24). A liturgy without the Supper is like a contract without signatures; it is (not just like) a wedding feast without food, a party without hors d’oeuvres and wine, as if the Lord were to open His house to extend hospitality but never offered chips or brought the beer out of the fridge.

Peter Leithart, The Theopolitan Vision, 31