(NOTE: This is the second post in a series on Reformed worship. Here are the first, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth.)
We have seen that in the services of Reformation Geneva presided over by John Calvin and his fellow reformers, there was never a service without preaching, whereas the administration of the Lord’s Supper was rare. Now at this point, Reformed men committed to what Jeff Meyers promotes as "Covenant Renewal Worship" would lodge a strong protest. Since Covenant Renewal's innovations are primarily sacerdotal in emphasis, drawing their inspiration from Old Testament sacrificial worship, they would claim preaching merely sets the Table, with the real meal being the Lord's Supper.
If those still committed to historic Reformed liturgy were to respond noting that Geneva's worship didn't have weekly Communion, Covenant Renewal men would be quick to point out Calvin himself preferred the weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper. "Covenant Renewal Worship is merely Genevan worship as Calvin himself would have ordered it had he been able to do so," they would say.
This argument is reminiscent of feminists who assure us Jesus would have had women among His Twelve if the culture of His time had been as progressive as ours. "Alas, people back then hadn't evolved as much as we have, so Jesus had to tread lightly," they tell us.
To which we would respond, "Are you serious? All through His life Jesus took on every evil. He was no respecter of persons. He died at the hands of the rich and powerful, but now you're telling me He didn't have the faith or courage to oppose the oppression of women, and that's the reason He chose men for His inner circle of Twelve?"
Concerning the order and priorities of Reformed worship, it's less important to consider what Calvin preferred than what he was willing to live without. The news isn't that Calvin would have preferred weekly Communion—everyone knows that. The real news is that when Calvin presided over services in Geneva...