Henderson daily dispatch., 1943-09-02
Communion Service
At Front Described

Chaplain Bennett l.. Gupton. vino
MS JHSt lett after spending ten
day leave here with his mother. Mrs.
fahnle Gupion. has written an ac-
count of Communion service he
conducted while AT the front. He ser
we'd in Africa iur aDuu, six months.
returning 10 the states in July. His
description uf the Communion ser
vice follows:
Al the request of the transport
chaplain on the ship which brought
me back To the United States. Chap
lain John NJ. Eggcn, | shall try 20
put into writing the true account of
Il Holy Communion service conducted
al the front during the TuniSiar
campaign.
Our special services officer of the
Bath Division was kind enough To
travel Il hundred miles to secure Il
half gallon of wine for the service.
Ii will be difficult for most of those
who read this 10 appreciate the prob
lens encountered in conducting such
a service. We had no Communion
SET or any Of the other necessary
equipment. The men sat ON the
ground with their rifles, ammuni-
ton and helmets at their sides. Our
altar was erected by placing three
field ration boxes on top of each other
and covering them with the chap
lainS flag. My assistant secured from
the mess sergeant leaves of bread
which were cut into small cubes.
Then he borrowed some cooking pans
which were used as walters. l had
previously announced that all men
who wished TO participate should
bring their canteen cups with them.
II was Easter Sunday, April 24,h.
l94S. The congregation began TO
gather. Then il was that | began to
doubt whether we had enough wine.
| have been pastor for twenty-five
years and never heard of anyone
needing half a gallon of wine for Il
Communion service. But now, seeing
those men gather, / decided 10 in
crease our amount of wine. We had
just moved into this area and water
point had not b cen established.
Therefore orc cantcen of water was
all could find. BY adding this TO
our supply. we had about three
quarts of Communion wine.
Seventeen hundred meH gathered.
Then two problems presented them
selves. First. man. u! the men for
got To bring their ca"t"cn cups.
Secondly, almost every Protestant
church denomination was GcpI ,scn-
ted and therefore the me" we're ac-
custOmed TO different methods of pro
ceedurc.
The men themselves solved the
first problem. Those who brought
their canteens, used The cups and
loaned the caps from ;he cantccNs to
their ncighbors. In this way every
one 10 hold his vessel until my aSSiS-
tants could come by and put spoon
rul Of the wine in each vessel, Ia re-
tain this vine in his hand uatil IL
had been served. Then we prayed
Gods blessings upon tbs sacred act
aid each man ate and drank accord
in" Ia his own belief and purpose al
heart.
II WIS n glorious service. Assisting
me was - Lutheran, a Baptist and M
EDiScopalian. Everyone seemed Ia APP
prcciatc the service. Oar command
| ing officer. a Presbyterian, and the
| executive officer. an EpiSCops liam.
| both expressed their appreciation OF
the service. Ore of the captains. u
Methodist. said he had never before
| received the Communion but apprc-
ciatcd the service and experience Il
| blessing from il. One thousand. three
hundred AID fifty-fivc received Com
muniOn that day, md there were