LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 346

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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

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reg eererts ‘ine, ave aid ub ere NSEC OF Carried ADO! ano
$s “ost aroropr ate tute ths Sacrament ©

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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

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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

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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

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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-

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