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LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 157

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

5. THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

To Uphold Proper Elements and Reverential
Administration of the Lord’s Supper
RESOLUTION 5-15
President’s Report, Part 2 (TB, 1:24)
WHEREAS, Our Lord Jesus Christ with words and actions
instituted His Holy Supper as a communal meal in the context
of the Passover celebration through which His body and blood
are distributed in, with, and under bread and wine for the
forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation (Matt. 26:26–28; Mark
14:22–24; Luke 22:19–20; 1 Cor. 10:16–17; 1 Cor. 11:23–26); and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions (Formula of
Concord [FC] Solid Declaration [SD] VII 86) indicate that the
proper use of the Sacrament includes unified consecration,
distribution, and reception; and
WHEREAS, The Lord’s Supper has been established by our
Lord according to His Words of Institution commanding
literally “This keep on doing” (Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24–25),
which indicates that this use of the Sacrament should be kept
according to His institution, and that “nothing is a sacrament
without the appointed use” as set forth by those same Words
of Institution (FC SD VII 73–74); and
WHEREAS, The Sacrament of the Altar serves to strengthen
faith against all doubts (Augsburg Confession XIII) and is
“given for a daily pasture and sustenance, that faith may

Resolutions

refresh and strengthen itself so as not to fall back into doubt,
but become ever stronger and stronger” (Large Catechism V
24) while it is incumbent on all faithful ministers of the Gospel
to remove all obstacles that create doubt regarding what
Christ offers in this Sacrament or detracts from it (1 Cor. 4:1–
2); and
WHEREAS, Concerns have been raised about the regular
use of prefilled communion cup and wafer sets in corporate
worship; and
WHEREAS, Concerns have been raised about the use of
non-wheat hosts and/or grape juice; therefore be it
Resolved, That our pastors and congregations give careful
consideration to the reverential treatment of the elements in
the administration of the Lord’s Supper; and be it further
Resolved, That this convention reaffirms 2001 Resolution
3-16, “To Encourage Use of Only Wine in Administration of
Lord’s Supper”; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Commission on Theology and Church
Relations be instructed to take up these concerns.
Action: Adopted (8)

Upon immediate closure of debate as suggested by the chair, the
resolution was adopted [Yes: 842; No: 193].

PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2023 (68TH) LCMS CONVENTION | 157