LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1995, Page 122

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122 “RESOLUTIONS

the Lord or faith in Christ’s promise eat and drink judg-
ment on themselves (1 Cor. 11:29): They are guilty of pro-
faning, not bread’and wine, but the body and blood of the
Lord (1 Cor. 11:27). This is why the Confessions of our
church assume a careful pastoral practice in connection
with the Lord’s Supper: “The custom has been retained
among us of not administering the sacrament to those who
have not previously been examined and absolved” (AC
XXV, Tappert, p. 61).

Our desire to honor and obey the Word of Christ leads
- us in our pastoral practice to reserve the Sacrament for
those who share this desire and confession. Since fellow-
ship at the Lord’s Table is a confession of faith in the Lord’s
promises professed at our altar, it would not be truthful for
those who affirm Christ’s gift of His body and blood in the
bread and wine and those who deny it to join one another at
the table. The last will and testament of Christ cannot be
interpreted in contradictory ways. Pastors are called by
God through the congregation to be faithful “stewards of
the mysteries” (1 Cor. 4:1-2), that is, faithfully to adminis-
ter the Sacrament according to the Lord’s institution. Love
also requires that pastors and congregations keep from the
Lord’s Table those who by their profession (or lack of it)
show that they could be eating and drinking judgment upon
themselves (1 Cor. 11:27). As part of this practice the pastor
will seek to prevent a profession of confessional unity in the
faith where there is, in fact, disunity and disagreement.

In 1983 the CTCR reminded the Synod that “In keeping
with the principle that the celebration and reception of the
Lord’s Supper is a confession of the unity of faith, while at
the same time recognizing that there will be instances
when sensitive pastoral care needs to be exercised, the
Synod has established an official practice requiring that
‘pastors and congregations of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod, except in situations of emergency and in spe-
cial cases of pastoral care, commune individuals of only
those synods which are now in fellowship with us” (CTCR,
“Theology and Practice of the Lord’s Supper,” p. 22; 1967
Res, 2-19; 1969 Res. 3-18; 1981 Res. 3-01); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm 1967 Res. 2-19 that
“pastors and congregations of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod, except in situations of emergency and in spe-
cial cases of pastoral care, commune individuals of only
those synods which are now in fellowship with us;” and be
it further

Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm 1986 Res. 3-08, “that
the pastors and congregations of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod continue to abide by the practice of close
communion, which includes the necessity of exercising re-
sponsible pastoral care in extraordinary situations and cir-
cumstances,” and beseech one another in love to remember
that “situations of emergency and special cases of pastoral
care” or “extraordinary situations and circumstances” are,
by their nature, relatively rare; and be it further

Resolved, That the Communion Card statement of the
CTCR be recommended to the member congregations of
Synod for guidance:

The Lord’s Supper is celebrated at this congregation
‘in the confession and glad confidence that, as He says,

our Lord gives into our mouths not only bread and wine
but His very body and blood to eat and to drink for the

forgiveness of sins and to strengthen our-union with
Him and with one another. .Our Lord invites to His
table those who trust.in His words, repent of all sin,
and set aside any refusal to forgive and love as He for.
gives and loves us, that they may show forth His death
until He comes.

Because those who eat and drink our Lord’s body
and blood unworthily do so to their great-harm and be-
cause Holy Communion is a confession of the faith
which is confessed at this altar, any who are not yet in-
structed, in doubt, or who hold a: confession differing
from that of this congregation and The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod, and yet desire to receive the

. Sacrament, are asked first to speak with the Pastor or
an usher. For further study, see Matt. 5:23ff; 10:32ff;
18:15-35; 26:26-29; 1 Cor. 11:17-34;

and be it finally

Resolved, That because we are “eager to maintain the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3), any
members of the Synod who advocate a different practice of
Holy Communion be fraternally reminded of the commit-
ment all the members of the Synod make to one another by
subscribing to the Constitution of the Synod to honor and
uphold its doctrine and practice and, where there is dis-
agreement, to follow the proper channels of dissent as out-
lined in synodical Bylaw 2.39 c.

Action: Adopted (9).

(The following amendment was offered but was declined.
It consisted of an additional resolve which stated,

Resolved, That the Synod affirm the “pure, correct, and
final restatement” of the Augsburg Confession, stated in
the Epitome of the Formula of Concord, (FC, Epitome, VII,
Tappert, p. 484) that,

“We believe, teach, and confess that there is only one
kind of unworthy guest, namely, those who do not believe.
Of such it is written, ‘He who does not believe is condemned
already’ (John 3:18). The unworthy use of the holy sacra-
ment increases, magnifies, and aggravates this condemna--
tion (1 Cor. 11:27, 29).

“We believe, teach, and confess that no genuine believer,
no matter how weak he may be, as long as he retains a liv-
ing faith, will receive the Holy Supper to his condemnation,
for Christ instituted this Supper particularly for Christians
who are weak in faith but repentant, to comfort them and
to strengthen their weak faith.”)

To Address the Church Growth
Movement

RESOLUTION 3-09
Overtures 3-104-106 (CW, pp. 182-83)

WHEREAS, Holy Scripture teaches, “So then faith comes
by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
And again, our God says: “As rain and snow come down
from heaven ... so will My word be that I speak. It will not
return to Me empty but it will accomplish what I want and
achieve what I had‘in mind” (Is. 55:10—11). And again, “He
saved us, not because of any righteous works which we
have done, but because of His mercy. He saved us by the
washing in which the Holy Spirit gives us a new birth and
a new life” (Titus 3:5). And of the Holy Supper our Lord
Jesus says concerning His own body and blood, “Take, eat,