Reception of the Lord's Supper: Preparing Myself and My People

Transcription

1 Reception of the Lord's Supper: Preparing Myself and My People The Last Supper by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld 00 Spring Pastoral Study Conference South Central District April 0-1, 00 Cross and Crown Ev. Lutheran - Georgetown, TX Pastor Joel T. Sauer

2 Veni spiritus, pasce pastorum, duc ducem, aperi aperture, da daturo, Christe Kyrie, Herr, erbarme dich unser. Come Holy Spirit, shepherd him who is to shepherd others; guide him who is to guide others; reveal to him [the Scriptures] who is to reveal them to others; give to him who is to give to others; Lord Christ, have mercy on us! 1 - Pastoral prayer Called shepherds of God s people have been given a great responsibility. They are charged to Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. This is no small undertaking, for they are to care for the souls which God has entrusted to them. How can a shepherd even begin to carry out his responsibilities, his call, his service? It is only with the help of the One who called him to serve! It is only by being fed and nourished, by being strengthened and bolstered through the very same means which the shepherd has been called to share with others The Gospel in Word and Sacrament! The questions the Essay Committee has assigned for this paper are as follows How does the pastor prepare himself for the Lord s Supper? How does he prepare his flock for the reception of such a sacred meal? I was so very tempted to simply write Luther s explanation to the fourth part of the Lord s Supper in his Small Catechism and let that suffice. Who, then, receives such Sacrament worthily? Answer: Fasting and bodily preparation are, indeed, fine outward training. But a person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words, Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. But anyone who does not believe these words, or doubts, is unworthy and unfit. For the words for you require hearts that truly believe. It really is that simple. But I don t believe that is quite what the Essay Committee wanted. However, Luther s explanation does give an outline to what will be presented in this paper. Those words of our Lord - for you - are to be front and center as shepherds prepare themselves and prepare their flocks to partake of our Lord s last will and testament. The shepherd will meditate on those words for himself and also Preach the Word to his flock. Note well the words of the prayer mentioned above pasce pastorum, duc ducem, aperi aperture, da daturo. May the pastor be prepared first, so that he may be able to help others to prepare for their reception of the Lord s Supper. 1 Minister s Prayer Book. 1 (Edited by John W. Doberstein) (1-) Philadelphia: Fortress Press. The Holy Bible: New International Version. 1, c1 (electronic ed.) ( Ti :). Grand Rapids: Zondervan. Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions. 00 (Edited by Paul Timothy McCain) (). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House. SC VI 1

3 The shepherd will do so by seeing his great need for forgiveness and then leading his flock to see their great need for forgiveness. The shepherd will prepare by seeing his and his flock s cup of need filled by the Savior s blood poured out from the cross and given at the communion rail. The shepherd will prepare himself and his people by proclaiming Law and Gospel, Sinai and Calvary, Sin and the Savior; summed up in those simple words for you. Aperi Aperture Reveal to me my sin and Your Forgiveness! A useful aid at our disposal that can help as we look to prepare ourselves and our people is Luther s Small Catechism. There, in a simple way, we have a summary of the Lord s Supper and also Christian questions with their answers Prepared by Dr. Martin Luther for those who intend to go to the Sacrament. Pastors can use these questions and answers to examine themselves and also teach them in their confirmation classes alongside the Sacrament of the Altar. Another suggestion would be to have them available as a bulletin insert to use together with the Personal Preparation for Holy Communion on page 1 of Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal. All are excellent aids to help the shepherd and his people in seeing the for you of this Sacrament. 1. Do you believe that you are a sinner? Yes, I believe it. I am a sinner.. How do you know this? From the Ten Commandments, which I have not kept. Dr. Luther ordered his catechism with the Ten Commandments first. There is wisdom in this. For how are we to see our need for the Lord s Supper without first seeing that we are sinners in need of forgiveness? The Ten Commandments show us our sin so that we may see our Savior. How succinct God s commandments are! Here God crushes us with His Law. Here we see clearly that we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Here we see sin, our sin and what it has earned the wages of sin is death. I will not expound on how each commandment shows how wretched you and I are, for there is not enough paper in all the world to catalogue our grievous sins. Let it suffice that the pastor and flock, by comparing their lives to God s commandments, will see that they have not loved God as they should, nor have they loved their neighbor as themselves. Luther s Small Catechism. (0). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House. Now I know the time restraints that pastors have in getting through the whole catechism in a year or two. Pastors don t need another this is what you should be doing paper or speech. Simply let me encourage you in your ministry to give thought to including this part in your classes, if you have not already done so. It is my wish that the preparation questions found in CW would return to those which we use in the catechism. It would be a great opportunity to show the catechumens that the Christian Questions and Answers are not only for the classroom, but also for worship. Luther s Small Catechism. (0). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House. The Holy Bible: New International Version. 1, c1 (electronic ed.) (Ro :). Grand Rapids: Zondervan. Ibid, (Rom. :)

4 What have you deserved from God because of your sins? His wrath and displeasure, temporal death, and eternal damnation. (Rom :1, ) Let us never soften the ragged, jagged edge of the Law as it cuts deeply to expose our hearts and those of our congregation. Remember and also proclaim to your people that sin, our sin is serious business. It is a stench in the nostrils of the Almighty God. It deserves Hell. And so is the one who sins you and me! We are a stench in the nostrils of the Almighty God! We deserve Hell. If we would ever doubt this, then we are not being true to God s justice, to His Word.. Are you sorry for your sins? Yes, I am sorry that I have sinned against God. God s Law has crushed the sinner. God s Law has led the sinner to see that he cannot save himself. God s Law has shown the sinner his sin, sin of which he needs to repent! How, oh, how can a sinner be saved? How can I be saved? Christ, Christ and only Christ!. Do you hope to be saved? Yes, that is my hope.. In whom then do you trust? In my dear Lord Jesus Christ.. Who is Christ? The Son of God, true God and man.. What has Christ done for you that you trust in Him? He died for me and shed His blood for me on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. 1 Forgiveness! Sweet forgiveness is ours through Christ! He is the reason we can be certain of salvation. He is the reason for our hope! The Son of God gives up His life for the sinner. The Son of God dies so that we may live. The Son of God, our dear Lord Jesus Christ, takes our place and suffers the full brunt of the Almighty God over sin, our sin. There is no sin too great that Jesus blood did not cover it. There is no sin too horrible, that Jesus death did not take it away. There is no sin too awful that Jesus sacrifice did not suffice. No His death has paid for all sin. There is no more punishment to be doled out. It is finished, Jesus declared. God the Father accepted His Son s sacrifice on our behalf. Forgiveness is ours!. How do you know this? From the Holy Gospel, from the words instituting the Sacrament, and by His body and blood given me as a pledge in the Sacrament. 1 Luther s Small Catechism. (1). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House. Ibid, (1) 1 Ibid, (1) The Holy Bible: New International Version. 1, c1 (electronic ed.) (Jn 1:0). Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 1 Luther s Small Catechism. (1). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

5 How do we know this to be true? God is not like sinful man. He does not lie. His Word proclaims this sacrifice on our behalf. His Word proclaims forgiveness found in Christ. In preparing ourselves and our flock, we return again and again to the Word of God, the Word of our dear Lord Jesus Christ. We return again and again to those simple words which say that His sacrifice, His forgiveness is for you. Proclaim pointed law from the pulpit which convicts your people of their sin. Proclaim the Gospel in all of its sweetness. Proclaim Christ crucified for each and every one of their sins. Proclaim forgiveness. Proclaim Christ for you! This is, after all, why your people are in church to again and again hear about Christ for them, about Christ s forgiveness of their sins. In preaching Law and Gospel from the pulpit, the pastor also prepares his people for the reception of the Lord s Supper. Martin Luther s Sermon by Lucas Cranach (Triptych St. Mary s, Wittenberg) The sermon will therefore encourage and invite the hearers to receive right now what Jesus is present to bestow. That is, not only will the sermon trumpet our Lord s completed work at the cross and open tomb and not only will it trumpet the truth that this blessed release from sin is for you (the hearers), but the sermon will also trumpet the presence of the risen Christ to bestow His healing forgiveness in that very service through His appointed means. 1 The Gospel in Word prepares the heart for the Gospel in Sacrament! What better way to assure those in the pew that Jesus' own body took their place on the cross, that His own blood was spilled to wash away their sins, than to receive that very same body and blood in the Lord s Supper? 1 Preach the Word. 1 Proclaim Christ s forgiveness. Preach about the Lord s Supper. Proclaim Christ s blessings given and received. What is the benefit of such eating and drinking? Answer: That is shown us in these words, Given for you and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This means that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. 1 1 Wieting, Kenneth. Sacramental Preaching: The Lord s Supper. Liturgical Preaching. Ed. Paul J. Grime and Dean W. Nadasdy. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House. () 1 This in no way is pitting God s Word of Absolution against the forgiveness given and assured in the Supper. I am simply saying that here we have another way to be assured of Christ s forgiveness another way in which the Lord would remove our doubts, comfort us and strengthen us in the faith. 1 The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1, c1 (electronic ed.) ( Ti :). Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 1 Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions. 00 (Edited by Paul Timothy McCain) (). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

6 Is it not truly amazing that the Lord would use sinners to proclaim, to handle, to share His precious gifts to other sinners? Is it not astounding that the Lord would choose someone like you, like me to be one of His undershepherds? What an honor it is for shepherds to be able to proclaim and administer God s forgiveness in the Means of Grace! Think of the comfort! Think of the ways in which you can apply the Gospel in Word and Sacrament to your congregation. On any given Sunday there are those present who have one or more of the following needs. - The person mourning the death of a loved one. - The person diagnosed with a serious illness. - The person who received bad news over the weekend and needs comfort. - The person living with an addicted spouse or family member. - The person fighting constant temptation or depression. - The person who is dying and desires comfort of the resurrection. - The person struggling with guilt. - Those who bear burdens which no one knows nor understands. - Those who have no pressing need, but simply wish to be assured of Christ s forgiveness. These people need what Christ gives! These people need to see Christ for you. And you are able to proclaim to them, able to administer to them the comfort they need! Pasce Pastorum Shepherd me to Shepherd others Another way to prepare for the reception of the Lord s Supper is found in the Liturgy crafted by our fathers. 1 Communion Sundays bring such a rush of activity for the pastor. The mind is overflowing with thoughts. Not only is the pastor thinking about the message from God s Word which he will speak, but also the sacred meal at which he will preside. Is there enough bread for those gathered today? Do we have enough wine? There is a flurry of activity before the service. The pastor may be rushing to and fro answering questions from members who need that personal comfort for their souls, answering that difficult question which often comes from visitors Can I take the Lord s Supper?, or the pastor might simply be mulling over that one member s intriguing question in Bible Class. Whatever it may be, it is not an overstatement to say that the pastor s mind is filled with so many thoughts that the reception of the Lord s Supper probably does not receive the attention it deserves. How does the pastor take the time to reflect on his need for the Supper and what Christ there gives to him? Consider how the Liturgy of the Sacrament not only prepares the flock for their reception, but also the shepherd for his. 1 For the purpose of this paper, we will follow the Liturgy of the Sacrament from the Common Service taken from Christian Worship A Lutheran Hymnal. This is not to say that other liturgies or those congregations which use an alternate order of service are not sufficient. The Liturgy of the Sacrament is used here as an example of how the service conveys those jawdropping words of Christ for you.

7 Now, the purpose of this paper is not to extol the Liturgy. Yet, the Liturgy can be an aid in our preparation. What follows are some thoughts you can keep in mind when you can t seem to find that quiet time before you kneel at the communion rail. Preface: The Lord be with you. And also with you. 0 What an incredible statement! The Lord be with you. Here He is in Word and Sacrament. Here He has come to present Himself to you, for you His glory hidden in, with and under the garb of bread and wine. How can we, as pastors, not be filled with joy, lifting our hearts up to the Lord and giving thanks to the Lord? Prayer: It is truly good and right that we.give You thanks. 1 Notice the we in this section. You are not only praying on behalf of the flock, but with them. We includes you. We includes you for whom the Savior has died and left this last will and testament Himself in the Supper! As the words of this prayer cross our lips, take the time to ingest what they say! These words are not to be hastily said, but again aid in our preparation for what is to come! Marvel, just marvel, how the words of this prayer focus your attention on what is to come. Marvel, just marvel at how each season of the Church year aids in your preparation. Whether it is the proper for the season of Advent, Lent, or Easter, notice how the prayers focus your attention on what Christ has done for you. The Sanctus: At this time, pastors are often setting aside the earthly elements for consecration. But let our minds not be distracted from the words of this ancient canticle! Do not let its familiarity diminish what is being sung. Holy, Holy, Holy. Call to mind the words of Isaiah from which this canticle was taken. (Isaiah :1-) Was Isaiah worthy to enter into the most holy of Holies, to see God face to face? Not at all. And how much more you and I sinners in need of forgiveness. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. To our human eyes, we only see bread and wine, but look not with physical eyes, but with eyes of faith see here God Himself! How astounding that He would come to you, come to me in such a way. Holy, yes that is what this Supper truly is Christ is here! Holy, that is what this Supper gives Christ s true body and blood! Holy, yes that is what you need from your Savior because of your sins. So we and our flock echo the same words uttered by those in the streets of Jerusalem Hosanna. Save Us! And wonder of wonders He has saved you and in this sacrament assures you again and again that His death on the cross, His resurrection from the dead was for you! The Words of Institution: Here we speak the words of Christ! Words of which Dr. Luther wrote, Everything depends, therefore, as I have said, upon the words of this sacrament. These are the words of Christ. Truly 0 Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal. (1) Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House. 1 Ibid, (1) Ibid, () Ibid, () The Holy Bible: New International Version. 1, c1 (electronic ed.) (Matt. 1:). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

8 we should set them in pure gold and precious stones, keeping nothing more diligently before the eyes of our heart, so that faith may thereby be exercised. Given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins. These words are, beside the bodily eating and drinking, the chief thing in the Sacrament. Can words express the awe, the joy that fills our hearts as Christ s words are spoken by our lips, as they touch our ears? For you! Oh, for me a sinner Christ has come. For you! For me who doesn t deserve even an ounce of kindness from the Almighty, much less to touch and taste His forgiveness! For you! For me! For me! Agnus Dei: Just before the pastor distributes the Supper and before he himself receives it, he joins with his flock in singing the Agnus Dei. Oh Christ, Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world. Have mercy on us. The pastor joins in confessing that he is in need of forgiveness. Like the Tax Collector in Jesus parable we beat our breast and cry out God, have mercy on me, a sinner. And God has answered that prayer! Our eyes of faith are directed to the cross. There Christ was slain. There Christ took the punishment of your sin. There He died, that you may live. He did it all for you! And now here, here at the communion rail, the Paschal Lamb comes to you. Here is the One who has stepped in to become your sin and give to you His righteousness. Here is Christ who took on death so that eternal death may pass over you. Here is Christ for you and the forgiveness of your sins. The Words in the distribution: I remember hearing, back when I was attending the Seminary, one pastor mention that pastors sometimes distribute the body like they are handling a pez candy machine just ripping them off for the communicants. Too often we also fall into such thinking. We want to quickly get through the distribution so as not to make the service last too long. Bible Study hour starts soon, so we need to end the service soon, and so on and so forth. But can we be so aloof to what we hold in our hands that we would mindlessly and hastily move through the distribution? Remember what you are giving the souls who kneel before you. God would use you to give to them His last will and testament. Christ did not have silver and gold to leave to His disciples and to His Church, not at all. There was nothing of this world that He had Luther, M. (1, c). Vol. : Luther's works, vol. : Word and Sacrament I (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (:III-). Philadelphia: Fortress Press. Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions. 00 (Edited by Paul Timothy McCain) (). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House. Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal. () Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House. The Holy Bible: New International Version. 1, c1 (electronic ed.) (Lk 1:). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

9 to give, nor did He wish to give. There was only Himself. That is what He gives - Himself. This is My body This is My blood. Here, with our calloused sinful hands, one by one we dole out that given by Christ Himself. Here, Christ gives something so precious, how can we not be amazed that He would use our hands and mouth to bring it to His dear children? For you, for you, for you again and again we say it. For you is this body given. For you this blood was shed. Can any words be more personal, more intimate, more comforting, more uplifting that those two little words? For you. And as you speak these words again and again for those kneeling at the rail, the anticipation grows (if you yourself receive after the distribution). This very body and blood is also for me! Instead of zipping through the distribution, make this a time when you eagerly look forward to receiving this heavenly gift yourself. For you make this a time when you are awed that God would shed His blood and cleanse your sins. For you make this a time to be comforted that He comes to you to lift you up. For you make this a time to give thanks that He has come with His body and blood to dwell in you and give His aid to your Christian life. For you, for you, for you again and again. And then the time comes for you yourself to kneel before the rail. Cupping your hands, you receive what you so delicately and humbly distributed the body of Christ! What human words can truly describe the wonder! The blood of Christ! For you! You, above all, know how much you need this sacred meal. You, above all, know how frail and weak you are in your ministry that you need this gift of Christ Himself. You, above all, know what strength lies in that Supper forgiveness! And so with words barely audible, you whisper a word that flows from your God-given faith, a word that bespeaks thanks, a word spoken when all words fail you Amen Let it so be! Amen! The Last Supper by Albrecht Dürer Brothers, take the time to see the beauty of the liturgy, as it prepares not only your people to receive the Sacrament, but also you yourself! Take the time to joyfully conduct the liturgy. People will notice. People will see that here is something glorious. See the Liturgy as another aid in your preparation and the preparation of your congregation. Christe Kyrie, Herr, erbarme dich unser - Conclusion Is not the mercy of our Lord amazing? He so wishes, so longs, so desires with every fiber of His being to give and assure us of His forgiveness that He would come to us with His body and blood! He would not have us or our flocks doubt that forgiveness. He would not have us or our flocks wallow in the depths of despair over our sin. No the Savior will not stand for that! Oh, our Savior knows how powerful is the grasp of our sinful nature. He knows how you and I so need to be assured of His forgiveness again and again and again that He not only speaks His The Holy Bible: New International Version. 1, c1 (electronic ed.) (Mk. 1:, ). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

10 forgiveness from the pages of His Word to our ears, but places that forgiveness in our hands and in our mouths so that we can literally touch and taste it! St. Ignatius once wrote that the Lord s Supper is the medicine of immortality, 0 for at the rail, we have forgiveness. And, as God s Word proclaims and Lutherans confess, where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. 1 At the rail, we are given life, eternal life, because at the rail we are given and assured of Christ s forgiveness with His body given and His blood shed given to us, given for you. So we end where we began with the words for you. Who, then, receives such Sacrament worthily? Answer: Fasting and bodily preparation are, indeed, fine outward training. But a person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words, Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. But anyone who does not believe these words, or doubts, is unworthy and unfit. For the words for you require hearts that truly believe. My purpose in this paper was simply to point to those two jaw-dropping words for you. I pray that I have at least helped you in marveling with me their astounding meaning! May those words continue to be in our hearts and minds as we prepare ourselves to partake of Christ s Supper. May those words continue to come from our lips to the ears of the saints God has called us to serve. And may Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ continue to shepherd, guide, reveal, and give to us that we may shepherd, guide, reveal and give to those in our congregations. Veni spiritus, pasce pastorum, duc ducem, aperi aperture, da daturo, Christe Kyrie, Herr, erbarme dich unser. SDG 0 The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians, chapter 0. 1 Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions. 00 (Edited by Paul Timothy McCain) (). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House. SC VI Ibid, ()

11 Bibliography Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions. 00 (Edited by Paul Timothy McCain) St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House. Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians, The. Chap.0. Holy Bible, The: New International Version. 1, c1 (electronic ed.) Grand Rapids: Zondervan. Liturgical Preaching. Ed. Paul J. Grime and Dean W. Nadasdy. Sacramental Preaching: The Lord s Supper. Kenneth Wieting. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House. Luther, M. (1, c). Vol. : Luther's works, vol. : Word and Sacrament I (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (:III-). Philadelphia: Fortress Press. Luther, M. (1, c1). Vol. 0: Luther's works, vol. 0 : Church and Ministry II (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (0:iii-1). Philadelphia: Fortress Press. Luther s Small Catechism.. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House. Minister s Prayer Book. 1 (Edited by John W. Doberstein) Philadelphia: Fortress Press.

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