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I suppose for the Protestants it is difficult to see that the Communion is believed to be the most direct participation with God, even more so than through prayer, because to them communion is a ritual of memorial significance and not a sacrament (mysterion).

Speaking for myself I would agree with you in that I do not see how Communion would be superior to prayer in communicating with God. I suppose I see the Lord's Supper as a combination of remembrance, prayer, and ritual, with the prayer part being the communication.

Communism* is a Utopian state where all means of production and state wealth are supposed to be collectively owned and at a disposal of anyone who needs them. Of course no such state ever existed, except maybe in the most basic form on some California hippie commune.

Real life communism was tried by the Pilgrims at Plymouth. Here is an excerpt from The American Christian History Page:

"Just how do you suppose the Pilgrims became involved in communism in labor and supply? The answer to this question is simply that this was the way in which colonization was done at this time. In the Spring of the year 1620, the Pilgrims entered into a joint-stock enterprise with the Virginia Company of London. They were unhappy with some of the conditions of their contract, but it was the only way, at the time, to acquire the religious liberty which they so dearly desired. The particular condition in the contract that established a communism in labor and supply was: "That all such persons as are of this colony, are to have their meat, drink, apparel, and all provision out of ye common stock & goods of ye said colony."

..................... Let us now look into Governor William Bradford's history Of Plimoth Plantation, and examine the picture which he so clearly draws of the evils of communism.

"The experience that was had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years, and that amongst godly and sober men, may well evince, the vanity of that conceit of Plato & others ancients, applauded by some of later times; that ye taking away of property, and bringing in community into a common wealth, would make them happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than God. For this community... was found to breed much confusion & discontent, and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort... The strong, or man of parts, had no more division of victuals & cloths, than he that was weak and not able to do a quarter ye other could; this was thought unjust... As for men's wives to be commanded to do service for other men, as dressing their meat, washing their clothes & etc. they deemed it a kind of slavery, neither could many husbands well brook it. Upon ye point all being to have alike, and all to do alike, they thought themselves in ye like condition, and one as good as another; and so, if it did not cut off those relations that God hath set amongst men, yet it did at least much diminish and take off ye mutual respect that should be preserved amongst them. And would have been worse if they had been men of another condition. Let none object this is men's corruption, and nothing to ye course it self. I answer, seeing all men to have this corruption in them. God in His wisdom saw another course fiter for them." (emphasis added)

It failed miserably as could be expected, and soon free-enterprise took over. The Protestant work ethic had come to America.