# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1983_S346 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 346 THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS supply of consecrated elements has been exhausted should the officiant distribute a replenished supply until Jesus consecratory words have first been spoken Because the Words iverba: of Institution are the very heart of the sacramental action. they should always be employed. It 1s through Cnnsts word ard ts power. not through the action of the celebrant. that Christ's body ard plood are present :n the bread and wine The practice of taking consecrated bread and wine from the congre- gations altar for aistribution to those absent must always include the Words of Institution in the presence of the communicant Christs word the eierents. and the distribution are to be Biblically held together ‘Mark 14 22-251.° Two quotations from the Formula of Concord are most pertinent In the ag™ nistration of Com union the worcs of stitution are :0 ne spoken or Sung aistinctly anc clearly before the congregation and are under no ¢-rcumstances to be ommtted Tneredy we render obec.- ence to the command of Cnnst Ts do Trerepy tne faith of the nearers in tre essence and benefits of this sacrament tne presence of the body ane pi00d of Christ tne forgveness of sins ang all tne bene- 4itg wmich Carst mas won for us Dy "1s death ard ine shedding of 7s plod anc wricm he gives [0 US. 71S testament: is awakened. strengin- ened anc contrmed tnrougn ns Word Ang therepy the elements of nread and wine are na‘lowed or diessed .n tis oly Use so that trere- win the pocy and plood of Cnrst are distributed 0 ss to eat and to arn as Pau! says The cup of Dlessing WMICN we DSS which hap- pens precis2iy tnrough the repetnor and recitat o% of the worgs of rgttution FC SC Vit 79-82 Likew:s2 ‘we reject anc condem! the doctrine inat ts poi tre Marie Ones t2§ repy tc Ine question of wnetner tre DoGy and DICOC cfonrst reg eererts ‘ine, ave aid ub ere NSEC OF Carried ADO! ano $s “ost aroropr ate tute ths Sacrament © a way that ger SO One wses tor 8 t He + me,ertne.ess Sm 5S D0Cy anc 3 ctretormofiratwr cr aascom™a er BS 2 eercclire wo ase or@racce ana 7st tutor of Cnr st Acs * a Sacraver? ts use But Crest so ec arndaran tre worcs of TSitet mire torn ofa tesiament ase waniecin s varrentt march preas ava 4 7e ave taxe™ Cessed or comsecrat te, Say ime™ ere> rece .ec & ard arnk Acc Crrst says of mat wn co pessed amcn rece vec OCy INS S Treretore wren preas $ geec Dutec nor rece arrec abewt tre arze word ot rst trew andsac “axe arc ang usec arg ima" Sure, S0eS TOL Mane a Sacrament Dae tere Sa a ference cargarn« Tos s8 esses Dui ere” generic It apalies to bread in general’? While Greek has a more restricted term azumos. for unleavened bread. 't |S not found in any of te New Testament accounts of the Lord’s Supper The tact that unleavened bread was used in the Passover and that the three evangelists set the time for the Lord's Supper on the first day of ‘the Feast of] Unieavened Bread” would strongly suggest the use of unleavened bread in our Lords original action iMatt 26.17: cf Mark 1412 and Luke 227) Therefore we have reason to conclude that unleavened bread should also be used today Since the Scriptures are sent on the source of the bread. it may be baked from the flour of wheat. rye barley. or other grains While the form of distribution should refiect reverence for the elements. there is no specific guidance on the size or shape of the wafer or portion b The Wine All four accounts of the Lord's Supper speak of “the cup” The con- tent of this cud was Most definitely wine The references in Matt. 26 29 and parallels to the ‘fruit of the vine would not have suggested anything e'se !o Jesus listeners than the grape wine of the Jewish Passover ritual’: In 1 Cor 112% there is corroboration that tne early Christian church understood wine for “fruit of the vine “Some of the Corinthians sadly. had abused the Holy Supper by becoming drunk Tne color, type. or origin of the grape wine is a matter which Cnris- tians can select in accord with their situation In the oft-cted pastoral circumstance of an aiconohc communicant the counsel of foregoing Communion tor a period of time or the action of diluting the wire with water :pernaps done at the Lords Supper itself: are preferable In the extreme situation where even greatly diluted wine may iead to severe temptation. no fully satisfactory answer. in the opinion of tne CTCR. can be formulated. The counsel of completely foregoing Communion 's clearly unsatisfactory In this situation. too. the actions of diluting the wine with water or intinction would be preferable The substitution of grape juice raises the question of whether the Lord's instruction 1s being heeded. Luther's openness to Communion tn one kind: 1s difficult in view of confessional texts which strongly urge the ater Baler he am F Aregt Fo We Our Gingncs anc Freger ck Ww Darner 4 otime New Testamen: Cmcago “27 ers ty of Cr.caas Press rreot of tre .ne is exegetca-y Synonymous wir we Ci 4 Bucrse gerewa “nec 2g ca D.chonary clire Vee Testamer! Grane Rapes Wo 5 Eers- mars "965 © wane Tne Gospe According 'c fave Grand Rape wer B Eeravars ‘974 o9 H Seesewar> anos “nec ogca D.croray. o'""e New “escament v Grana Pap ds Wm & Eersmars 1967 © wncent Taylor "ne Gospe Accord ng io Wa™ vorcor St Matos Bress 7966 5 mer _utners Worss Amercar Eamticn 36 Or aceionia Forvess Press Marin words and the omnipotence of Christ but faitn that achieves tne pres- ence of the body of Cnrist :n the Holy Supper. whence some omit the words of institution in the administration of the Supper For whe we justly cricize and condemn tne papistic consecration which ascribes to the word and work of the priest the power allegedly !0 eftect a sacrament the words of :nstitution cannot and should not ' any case be omitted in the administration of the Supper. as snown above ina previous exposition iFC SD VII 121) As the celebrant consecrates the elements. he should do so ina reverent manner. To hurry through the verba as though he were watching the clock or to insert some personal idiosyncrasy into the consecration is to detract the people's attention from the Sacrament. The congregations focus 1s to be on Christs word and invitation. The celebrant 1s a servant to sharpen that focus Again the Formuia of Concord, eloquently states. Concerning the consecration we believe teach. anc con‘ess tnat no mars work nor the recitation of the minister effect this presence of the body and blood of Crristin the Holy Supper. but its to be ascribed solely and alone to the almighty power of our Lord Jesus Christ But at the same time we believe. teach. and confess with one accord that in tne celebration of the Holy Supper the words of Cnrst s institution should under 70 circumstances De omitted but snculd be spoker publicly. as its wetten “the cup of blessing which we diess 1 Cor 1016 1123-25: Tr:s piessing occurs through the recitation of the woras of Cnrist "FC Ep VII 8-9) Fo- the truthful and almighty words of Jesus Cnrist whch he spoke in the first institution were not only efficacious In the first Supper but they sts retain their vaicity and efficacious Power 16 al places wrere tne Supper is observed accorang ‘0 Christs insttubor and where 1:5 words are usec anc the body anc blood of Cnrist are truly present distributed and rece.ved by the virtue and potency of tne same words which Chnst spoke in the first Suoper ‘FC SD VI! 75 2. The Elements There is scholarly consensus that our Lord employed tne earthly elements of bread and wine in His institution of Holy Communion.” a. The Bread Tne Greek word for pread in the New Testament texts. artos. |S Reoveser Der Evarce $s Ma ve of Such a co7sensus are tre ‘o Owe g comrmentay eS A Scr.atter aus Stuttgart Caiwer Ver ag “$48 op TS" we am wane “ne Gosoe corang to Mars Grarc Rapids wer B Eergmars Pur suing Co “97S ht 39! soware Marsna 772 Gosoe of ine Grane Rac Pupisn ng Co *978 pp “92-827 C K Barret! 4 Commentary 97 "me Fs! Ep: fa me Corein ans New Yorx Harper & Row “966 pc 264- 79 Joacn ™ Jere as The 4o-ds o/ Jesus vars Norman Perr &* ace cra Forvess Svess “966. pr is Biblical paradigm of both kinds. though the Confessions do not address the extreme situation Asimular pastoral problem is posed by those rare instances where @ severe physical reaction 1s caused by the elements ‘as. for example when the recipient is concurrently taking certain medications. Of ts SIm- ply allergic to one or the other of the elements) The pastor. in such cases. will surely stress the Gospel's power and total effectiveness in the individual's hfe and patiently seek a practical solution that both honors Christ's word and satisfies the desire to partake in the Lord's Supper c. Post-Communion Reverence The consecrated elements which remain after all nave communed should be treated with reverence. This reverence has been expressed by Lutherans in various ways. Some have followed the ancient practice of burning the bread and pouring the wine upon the earth Others nave established a basin and drain—piscina—specifically for disposal of the wine The elders or altar guild may also return the consecrated bread and wine to specific containers for future sacramental use. or the elders and pastor can consume the remaining elements All of these practices should be understood properly. The church !s not. thereby. conferring upon the elements some abiding status apart from their use in the Lords Supper itself Biblical practice keeps the elements in their sacramental setting. Our Lutheran Confessions. quoting from the Wittenberg Concord :1536). are lucid in their rejection of any view which would confer some extraord:- nary status upon the elements apart from their sacramental use Trey confess n accoraance with tre words of Irenaeus tratinere are two things in this sacrament. one reaverly and the orner earthly Therefore they maintair and teach that win the bread anc w.ne the poy ang blood of Cnrist are truly and essentiaily presect. distributed and recewed And aithougn they deny a transubstantiation that's. an essentiai change of tne pread and wine into tne body and picod of Christ: and do not believe tnat the body and blood of Cnrist are locally enciosea in the bread or are in some other way permanertly united with it apart from the use of the sacrament they grant tnat through sacramental union tne bread 1s the body of Christ ete For they do not maintan tnat the pocy of Cnristis present apart from tne use as wnen tne bread is laid aside or reserved in tne tapernacle or carried about and exposed in procession. as happens in the papacy “FC SD VH C. Practice in Accord with the Doctrine ot the Office of the Public Ministry 1. The Pastoral Office The regularly called and ordained pastors of the church are to offici- Tre crope™ wih the consecratonist-reception St discuss.o7 's "Pai eac” S 3E runs tne’ $x of separating 7 o7e c rector or tre orer what has peer Boicaliy ered togetrer