How to Approach Communion in Recovery

While many people struggle with drug or alcohol abuse, religious people may find added burdens to their problems.

For many recovering addicts, life after treatment comes with a whirlwind of changes as well as questions. Some are big while others are small. For the faithful, the topic of communion in recovery may arise. At Faith in Recovery, we understand that your faith is important to you and that you want to partake in communion but not at the cost of your sobriety. Life can be confusing and overwhelming for recovering addicts and communion can be just another bump in the road that raises important questions.

Is It Okay to Drink Wine at Communion?

Many Christian denominations and churches will have holy communion that involves ingesting bread and wine that are the body and the blood of Christ to remind of us Jesus’ sacrifice when He died on the cross for our sins. For recovering addicts and alcoholics, the wine at communion can cause a dilemma.

Although the wine is an important aspect of holy communion, it can appear to go against the idea of sobriety. Part of recovery is learning to navigate the world in a way that is best for you. You should think about this decision as well as the alternatives before deciding how you would like to approach communion in recovery.

Alternatives to Wine at Communion

As a faith-based addiction rehab, we believe that attending church and receiving holy communion are important aspects of faith, but it shouldn’t be at the cost of your sobriety.

If you were an alcoholic and you recently completed a faith-based alcoholism treatment program, you were probably taught to practice complete abstinence from alcohol. Even though wine at communion can be present, this small amount could still be tempting. If you fear that drinking wine at communion in recovery could lead to relapse, there are alternatives. Many churches offer grape juice or non-alcoholic wine. You could also choose to drink nothing at all and just take the wafer or bread. Although you may not be drinking the blood of Christ if you skip the wine, you are still participating in this religious practice and should feel like you are receiving the same benefits as someone who drinks the wine.

Life in recovery can be difficult to navigate, but with our Christian addiction programs, we can help you learn how to do so faithfully and confidently.

If you or someone you love is searching for help with drugs or alcohol that includes a spiritual element, we want to be there. Call us today at 888-280-4763 to learn more about Faith in Recovery and our various programs.

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Call us today at 888-280-4763 to learn more about Faith in Recovery and our various programs.