Are the forms an important part of the sacraments? Is it necessary that we use bread and wine for the Lord’s Supper? Is it necessary that we use water for Baptism? I would argue that the form of the sacrament is an important part of the sacrament. As a rule, effective sacraments will use the forms that are ordained by scripture.
The importance of the forms of bread and wine.
How do we know certain forms are important? God gives precise rules. He teaches in precise language. We can see this in the detailed description of the construction of the tabernacle and the temple. At the same time, God does not highlight everything. He highlights what is important.
Let’s think for a moment about bread and wine in scripture. One of the first times bread and wine are mentioned in scripture is the story of Abraham and Melchizedek. Melchizedek brings out bread and wine to Abraham when Abraham has just won a victory over Israel. A little later in Genesis, Abraham’s Son Isaac, promise’s his son Jacob the riches of the abundance of the land. These riches are grain and new wine. Bread and wine are the foods that we receive from the land. They exemplify the abundance of the land. This image is there all through scripture.
Along with oil, bread and wine are important substances through all of the scriptures. Oil and bread are used in the sanctuary. Bread is the food that the world produces, glorified by the industry of human hands. Wine is connected to kings and the joy and the peace a righteous king brings. Wine is the eschatological drink. Abraham may enjoy wine once he has defeated his enemies. The Nazirite may take wine after he has completed his vow. It is not surprising that the righteous king, Jesus, chooses bread and wine to represent his body. It is his body that will provide abundance for his new creation.
To choose other forms, such as chips and pop instead of bread and wine is to lose some of the rich imagery that is connected to bread and wine.
Rules with exceptions.
But does this mean that those who use other forms do not participate in the grace of God? I do not think that we can say that. We can say they miss something by participating without the forms. This in part depends on the heart of the reason for choosing a different form. It may be that wine and bread are in short supply. It may be that there is a misunderstanding by those who are willing to exchange the given forms for others. (We also need to be careful to be careful not to box in God, with doctrines that he himself has not given.)
A helpful proverb here is “Too whom much is given much is required.” Those who know better and those who are able to provide the given forms should do so. But we also trust that our God is a merciful God who understands our weaknesses.
We can learn another helpful lesson from Malachi 3: 14, “The deceiver is cursed who has an acceptable male in his flock and makes a vow but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord.” We know from the New Testament that these sacrifices in themselves did not do anything. They only did so far as they pointed to Jesus Christ. Yet at the same time God cared about the form (that an acceptable male was offered) of the sacrifice. He saw that the form showed a lack of obedience in the heart. The simple command of God is to bring bread and wine. That is important to him. We demonstrate obedience by obeying this simple command. However, even in the supposedly more formal Old Testament, God allowed for the fact that a person might not be able to bring an acceptable male. God will be merciful to our weakness.
We learn then that God does give exceptions for those who are weak. But that does not mean that God cares only about the heart, not the form that is offered. He sees the form as a demonstration of a heart. This is a rule we can gather from reading scripture. However, it is a rule with exceptions.