# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S416 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 416 LIFE TOGETHER 1941, Lutheran Worship of 1982, and Lutheran Service Book of 2006, arguably among the finest Lutheran hymnals in the English language, and containing multiple liturgical settings for worship and hundreds of hymns appropriate for use in Lutheran worship; and WHEREAS, These hymnals admit themselves of a variety of modes of presentation, such as being printed out and projected on a screen where the use of the individual books is not desired; and WHEREAS, The Synod has expressed the desire for at least minimal consistency from congregation to congregation in worship and has previously encouraged the use of the approved hymnals in public worship; therefore be it Resolved, That the Minnesota North District reaffirm its encouragement for the use of Synod-approved worship materials in LCMS congregations and memorialize the Synod to likewise reaffirm its encouragement of the use of these materials in every congregation for public worship. Minnesota North District Ov. 4-14 To Study Responsible Stewardship of the Mysteries of God, That is, “Closed Communion” WHEREAS, Our Lord Jesus Christ has instituted the Sacrament of the Altar (Matt. 26:26–28, Mark 14:22–24, Luke 22:19–20 and 1 Cor. 11:23–26); and WHEREAS, Pastors have been called to be stewards of the Mysteries of God, and it is required that they be found faithful, (1 Cor. 4:1–2); and WHEREAS, Dr. Francis Pieper wrote, “Auch die apostolische Kirche praktizerte nicht ‘open,’ sondern ‘closed’ communion” (Francis Pieper, Christliche Dogmatik [St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1920], III:444), translated, “So the apostolic Church did not practice ‘open’ but ‘closed’ communion” (the term “closed communion” is the longstanding usage of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) to denote responsible stewardship of the Mysteries of God); therefore be it Resolved, That the Southern Illinois District convention direct its circuit visitors to lead a study of the following theses in their pastoral conferences (winkels) in the next triennium; and be it further Resolved, That the Southern Illinois District submit these theses to the 2019 Synod convention for study: THESES ON THE RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP OF THE MYSTERIES OF GOD—THAT IS, CLOSED COMMUNION. Part I: Definitions Thesis 1: A sin is any thought, word, or deed that is contrary to the will of God. (Discussion: Axiom. I John 3:4) Thesis 2: There is a sin that leads to death (mortal sin) and a sin that does not lead to death (venial sin). (Discussion: I John 5:16– 17) Thesis 3: In Lutheran theology (as opposed to Roman Catholic theology) it is not the inherent sinfulness of an act that distinguishes a mortal sin from a venial sin, but rather the intent of the subject. (Discussion: See below under #4.) 2019 Convention Workbook Thesis 4: To wit, in Lutheran theology a mortal sin is defined as an ongoing, willful sin that is committed against better knowledge. Such sins will eventually kill faith and drive the Holy Spirit away. A venial sin is a sin committed by a Christian out of weakness, lack of knowledge, error, or misunderstanding. (Discussion: Smalcald Articles III.3.43. It is, accordingly, necessary to know and to teach that when holy men, still having and feeling original sin, also daily repenting of and striving with it, happen to fall into manifest sins, as David into adultery, murder, and blasphemy, that then faith and the Holy Ghost has departed from them [they cast out faith and the Holy Ghost]. For the Holy Ghost does not permit sin to have dominion, to gain the upper hand so as to be accomplished, but represses and restrains it so that it must not do what it wishes. But if it does what it wishes, the Holy Ghost and faith are [certainly] not present. For St. John says, 1 John 3:9: Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, ... and he cannot sin. And yet it is also the truth when the same St. John says, 1:8: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.) Thesis 5: Holy Communion was instituted by our Lord for the forgiveness of sins. (Discussion: Words of Institution) Thesis 6: Repentance and the forgiveness of sins are connected by an insoluble connection. (Discussion: Luke 24) Thesis 7: Christians will never be completely free from venial sin in this life. (Discussion: Romans 7) Thesis 8: Repentance means to turn away. Thesis 9: A Christian living in the grace of the Lord is constantly repenting of his sins and striving to follow the Lord more faithfully, even as he stumbles to struggle against the weakness of his flesh and the original sin which inheres therein. (Discussion: Romans 7) Thesis 10: Clearly, people living in a state of moral sin should not commune. (Discussion: 1 Cor. 11:29) Thesis 11: People who cannot properly examine themselves should not commune. (Discussion: 1 Cor. 11:29) Thesis 12: All Christians struggle with venial sin and stumble due to weakness; this weakness is a proper object of Christian selfexamination. That is, it is consciously felt, recognized, lamented, and repented of by the Christian. (Discussion: Romans 7) Thesis 13: Christians may also fall into venial sin through misunderstanding, confusion, or error. By its very definition, venial sins stemming from such a source resist self-examination: they are the “speck in the eye” which one cannot remove oneself. Thesis 14: It is a Christian duty to call fellow believers to repentance when they fall into sin. (Discussion: Matthew 18; Luke 6) Thesis 15: When a fellow Christian falls into sin through error, confusion, or misunderstanding, it is therefore the duty of his fellow believers to correct him gently, lovingly, and in accordance with the Word of God. (Discussion: Gal. 6:1) Part II: Exclusion from the Lord’s Table within the Congregation Thesis 16: For example, an otherwise faithful Lutheran could, through confusion and misunderstanding, fall into the sin of bigamy by thinking that he could take two wives as the patriarchs in the Old Testament did. Thesis 17: In fact, such a case did happen in the 16th century with the bigamy of Landgrave Philip of Hesse.