LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 179

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 179

3-48

To Establish and Maintain Evangelical
Communion Practice

WHEREAS, Christ instituted Holy Communion knowing His dis-
ciples would betray and deny Him that very night (Matt. 26:20-35;
Mark 14:18-31; Luke 22:21-35; John 13:26-38); and

WHEREAS, St. Paul defines worthy reception of the body and
blood of Christ in the Lord’s Supper in terms of self-examination
and discernment (1 Cor. 11:28-29); and

Wuereas, Dr. Martin Luther’s Small Catechism states: “He is
truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words,
‘Given and shed for you for the remission of sins.’ But he that does
not believe these words, or doubts, is unworthy and unprepared;
for the words ‘for you’ require all hearts to believe”; and

WHEREAS, The Augsburg Confession (1530), Art. XIII (“The
Use of the Sacraments”) states:
It is taught among us that the sacraments were instituted not
only to be signs by which people might be identified outwardly
as Christians, but that they are signs and testimonies of God’s
will toward us for the purpose of awakening and strengthening
our faith. For this reason they require faith, and they are rightly
used when they are received in faith and for the purpose of
strengthening faith (Tappert, Book of Concord, pp. 35-36); and
WHEREAS, Art. II (“Confession”) of the Missouri Synod Con-
stitution states that Scripture as the written Word of God is “the
only rule and norm of faith and practice” and that all the Symboli-
cal Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church are “a true and
unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God”; and

WHEREAS, A theologian of our own church body, Francis
Pieper, in Christian Dogmatics cautioned about excessively per-
missive (open) and excessively restrictive (closed) Communion
practices:

Christian congregations, and their public servants, are only the
administrants and not the lords of the Sacrament. The Lord’s
Supper is not their institution, but Christ’s. Therefore they must
follow Christ’s instructions in administering the Sacrament. On
the one hand, they are not permitted to introduce “Open Com-
munion”; on the other hand, they must guard against denying
the Sacrament to those Christians for whom Christ appointed it
(p. 381);
and

WHEREAS, The Missouri Synod historically has sanctioned de-
partures from strict closed admission practices that restrict Com-
munion to Missouri Synod communicants and those in fellowship
with the Missouri Synod, notably

(1) “We encourage all pastors of the Synod to continue to min-
ister to the spiritual needs of those on the college and university
campus, exercising a sincere pastoral concern for the members of
the campus community and applying Communion guidelines of
Lutheran military and institutional chaplains” (Res. 2-07A, 1975
Synod convention);

(2) “The LCMS has long encouraged its congregations and pas-
tors in extraordinary circumstances to provide responsible pastoral
care, including administration of Holy Communion to Christians
who are members of denominations not in fellowship with the
LCMS” (Res. 3-01, 1981 Synod convention);

(3) “Pastors and congregations of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod continue to abide by the practice of close communion,
which includes the necessity of exercising responsible pastoral care
in extraordinary situations and circumstances” (Res. 3-08, 1986
Synod convention); therefore be it

Resolved, That all Synod congregations, assisted by their pas-
tors, exercise their rights and responsibilities as self-governing con-
gregations (Art. VII) under the Word of God to establish and to
maintain an evangelical practice of Communion hospitality that
makes the Lord’s Supper available to all those for whom Christ ap-
pointed it. ‘

St. John
Hattiesburg, MS

3-49
To Express Welcome at Lord’s Table

Rationale

For Lutheran Christians, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ
(technically called “The Verba”) are the primary focus for any
teaching and discussion about the Lord’s Supper. We celebrate the
Lord’s Supper because of the Word of Christ, “Do this for the re-
membrance of Me.” “Is” means—and effects—what it says; the
Word makes the Sacrament (cf. Luther, Large Catechism [Tappert],
p. 448). “Take... eat... take... drink. . . all of you” are direct
commands, and we come to the Lord’s Table to commune in obe-
dience to His command (Large Catechism). As Franz Pieper re-
minds us, we need to be sure that those whom our Lord intends to
receive the Sacrament are communed.

Those who read Communion card and/or bulletin statements
which in some manner state that only those in fellowship with the
LCMS are permitted to attend the Eucharist hear a counter-com-
mand: do not do this; do not take ... eat .. . drink. Sadly, many
people heed the counter-command of human beings rather than the
direct command at the celebration of Holy Communion issued by
the divine Lord. A human requirement and interpretation gets in
the way of the clear and direct word and command of the Lord
Jesus. That should not happen in the first place, and, when it has, it
must be reformed.

Martin Luther is not complicated nor does he add requirements:
“He is truly worthy and well-prepared who has faith [emphasis
added] in these words, ‘given and shed for you for the remission
of sins’” (Small Catechism).

Lutheran Christians rightly teach that the Lord’s Supper is a
means of grace, and we need to help one another keep the empha-
sis and focus on grace and gift and welcome, rather than on re-
strictions and requirements and complicating barriers.

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, gath-
ered in convention, encourage all who preside at, and gather for,
worship to extend words of welcome and hospitality to each and
every Christian “who has faith in these words, ‘given and shed for
you for the remission of sins’” at the celebration of the Holy Eu-
charist; and be it further

Resolved, That we thank God for guiding us by His Holy Spirit,
so that we attend to the clear Word of our Lord Jesus and help all
who gather where He is present to respond in faith and obedience
to His gracious command.

Resurrection
Coronado, CA

3-50

To Affirm Historic Lutheran Practice
of Distribution of Christ’s Body and Blood

WHEREAS, Article XIV of the Augsburg Confession states that
nobody should administer the Sacraments without a regular call;
and

WHEREAS, The first President of the LCMS, C. F. W. Walther,
in his Pastoral Theology, notes the historic Lutheran position in
sharp contrast to the Roman Catholic practice when he relates that
the elements consecrated by the pastor but unused during the con-
gregation’s celebration of the Lord’s Supper are by no means to be
used to commune the sick without being consecrated again, and
that they cannot be taken by laymen to those who were absent, de-
scribing such practice as an “evil custom of some in the ancient
church”; and

WHEREAS, The practice of lay distribution of the Sacrament can
burden the consciences of the sick and shut-in, who would have no
real way of knowing whether the bread and wine have been prop-
erly consecrated according to our Lord’s mandate; and

WHEREAS, It is consonant with the Gospel that the communi-
cant knows for certain that he is actually receiving the true body
and blood of Jesus Christ, under the bread and the wine, given for