“Why We Do What We Do”
Part 2
5/29/22
Last week we ended our examination of the liturgy after the Offering. We’ll pick it back up now where we left off. Remember, we’re seeking to answer the question of “Why we do what we do” within our worship services. So, let’s stand and continue with the:
Prayer of the Church
As you can see, the Scriptural reference there is 1 Timothy 2:1-4. In that passage St. Paul urges Christians to “pray for all people.” And so, in our public prayers we attempt to cover the general categories of people who may be in need and some of them we name specifically. Each petition ends by calling upon God’s mercy again. But you’ll notice that we always end these prayers by asking for these things “through… Jesus Christ” or “in the name of Jesus.” Why? Because that’s how He instructed us to pray, as you heard last week in the Gospel where He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” He means whatever is in accordance with God’s holy will.
Next, we move to the “Service of the Sacrament.” Actually, everything prior to this has been a preparation for Holy Communion. Even though we’ve already confessed our sins and heard God’s word of forgiveness in the absolution, this part of the liturgy is designed to help us make sure we’re ready for this great and powerful mystery that’s about to take place. As I said last time, God gathers us here for worship and promises to be among us. But now, He’s going to take that presence to a whole new level as He comes to us with the very real body and blood of Jesus in, with, and under the bread and wine. The Preface is intended to prepare us for that.
The Preface and Sanctus
Since this holy meeting is about to take place, it makes sense that we would once again sing, “The Lord be with you… And with thy spirit.” The next two responsories encourage us to be joyful in our anticipation. One of the names for this Sacrament is the “Eucharist.” It comes the Greek word for “thanksgiving.” God is inviting us to come close without fear or somberness. Rather, with joyful reverence and thankfulness.
What follows is the “Proper Preface” which simply is a prayer that is suited for the season of the church year that we’re in. You’ll notice in the last phrase it says that our voices will be joining with the heavenly chorus of all the angels as well as the believers who have gone before us to be with the Lord. The song that we sing together is from Isaiah’s vision of heaven where he heard the angels singing “holy, holy, holy” praising the triune God we worship. And then the hosannas which is the song that the crowd sang to Jesus on Palm Sunday. Hosanna means “oh, save us” which is appropriate as we prepare to meet with our Savior Jesus in this Sacrament.
The Lord’s Prayer
This probably doesn’t need a whole lot of explaining. It’s the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray. It’s the perfect prayer because it covers the main things that we need in order to go about our lives as believers.
The Words of Our Lord
The words that Jesus spoke when He instituted the Lord’s Supper are not identical in the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke or St. Paul. What we use is a combination of all 4. Using His own words, we believe that Jesus makes His presence in this supper happen. Pay close attention to the fact that in His words Jesus never even hinted that the bread and wine “represent” or “symbolize” His body and blood. He said it IS His body and blood. This is important to note because the great majority of the other protestant church bodies deny this crucial fact. Having said that, we may as well dive into our doctrine about who should and shouldn’t take Communion here at our altar. People don’t always understand “Close(d) Communion” and I’d bet it’s because it hasn’t been properly explained to them.
Let me start by reminding you that this is not just my belief or opinion. Rather, this has been the doctrine of the Missouri Synod from its inception 175 years ago and it was Luther’s firmly held belief also. And that’s because it was the doctrine of the ancient Christian Church going all the way back to the disciples and St. Paul. Luther’s Small Catechism summarizes 4 categories of people who shouldn’t take Communion. First, there are the openly ungodly and unrepentant. Second, those who are unforgiving or refuse to be reconciled. Third, those of a different confession of faith. And fourth, those who are unable to examine themselves. Experience tells me that numbers 1 and 2 most Lutherans don’t have a problem with. But numbers 3 and 4 get some folks upset so that’s where we’ll focus.
Let’s be clear. We’re not saying that members of other denominations are not Christians. However, their beliefs on some pretty major doctrines of the Church are at odds with what we confess. These are not small issues. There are crucial differences over the essence of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, as well as mankind’s role in the process of salvation and even something as basic as the reliability of God’s Word in the Bible. Which leads them to radical views on supporting abortion, gay marriage, ordaining women, and ordaining practicing homosexuals as Pastors. Holy Communion is supposed to be about unity both horizontally with our fellow believers and vertically with God. How can we claim to be in fellowship with other Christians who hold to beliefs that are so radically opposite to what we confess? Where is the unity in that? There isn’t any and we need to be honest enough to say so.
Ah, but I already know the next question because it’s a situation that some of you have to deal with. In fact, I’ve had to deal with it in my extended family. What if someone was instructed in the Catechism and Confirmed in a Missouri Synod church but later on, for various reasons, joined a church of a different denomination? They may even still hold onto some or all of the doctrines that they publicly confessed on their Confirmation Day. Shouldn’t they be able to Commune? Sadly, no. Why would a person believe one thing and yet align themselves with a church that teaches things contrary to that? If they Commune here then whether they realize it or not they’re denying the doctrine of their own church. I encourage you to read what St. Paul says about this in 1 Corinthians 10. He makes it clear that you can’t sit on the fence or vacillate between 2 opposing belief systems.
Perhaps my feeble illustration will help. Let’s say my son moved to Canada and became a citizen there, renouncing his American citizenship. We don’t hate Canadians. However, we are very different in some crucial areas of our government and freedoms. My son has chosen to declare his loyalty to that and not the U.S. But when he comes home to visit should he be allowed to vote or sign up for social security? No, those are privileges reserved for American citizens. It doesn’t matter if he was taught those things in school or that he used to stand and say the pledge of allegiance. He has chosen to change his loyalties to a different nation and that’s where he should seek his privileges of citizenship. It’s similar to what happens when a person chooses to change their denomination. Their loyalties have shifted. We don’t hate them but there are privileges of membership that they’ve willingly forfeited. You can’t turn a blind eye to that and declare fellowship where it doesn’t exist.
I need to add an important addendum. The Missouri Synod does allow for something called “Pastoral Discretion.” If a non-member asks to Commune and we have the opportunity to discuss it, depending on the circumstances I may decide to say yes. So, if you have a family member who’s in the situation I described a minute ago, please, have them come visit with me. Keep in mind that even though there are exceptions to the rule, the exceptions should never become the rule. And since we’re on the subject of the Pastor as the steward of the Sacrament, let’s address an objection that’s guaranteed to come up. “How come Pastor X over at church Y Communes everybody and he’s Missouri Synod, but you don’t?” All I can say is shame on him. As I stated earlier, Close(d) Communion has been the doctrine and practice of our Synod for 175 years. Every time it comes up at a convention the Synod reaffirms our belief on it. LCMS Pastors take a vow on their ordination day to abide by and uphold these doctrines. They’re not being faithful to their vow if they practice Open Communion, so shame on them.
“Ah, but Pastor, there are people here in our own congregation who don’t believe all the doctrines of our church body. And yet, we Commune them!” On the surface that’s true. We can’t see what’s in a person’s heart so there may be members who secretly don’t agree with our beliefs. But here’s the pivotal difference. They haven’t publicly declared this by aligning themselves with an opposing belief system. So we take them at their word.
Folks, Close(d) Communion is actually an act of Christian love. By it, we’re trying to prevent a person from doing something harmful to their soul. In 1 Corinthians 11 St. Paul warns us that by receiving the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner we can bring judgment upon ourselves from God. I don’t want to knowingly contribute to that. That’s why Paul urges us—all of us—to examine ourselves before we partake of it. If we are out of fellowship with God, we should refrain. If we are out of fellowship with the believers who surround us at the Table, we should refrain. So you see, there are times when even our own members ought not to receive Holy Communion until they get right with God or their fellow believers. I pray that during the Confession at the beginning of the service you are examining yourself in light of God’s commands. Likewise, during the liturgy leading up to Communion, I pray it reminds you to examine yourself. And as you wait to come forward, yes, sing the hymns. But also, take the time to examine yourself. On pages 329-330 in your hymnal, you’ll find Luther’s Questions and Answers which will help you do that. The good news is that if you come here with a humble and contrite heart then this will be a joyous time for you. Knowing that you are in fellowship with the believers around you as you gather in fellowship with Jesus while receiving His body and blood; well, it doesn’t get any better than that. Rejoice as your souls are refreshed by Christ’s forgiveness and you’re strengthened for your continuing journey here on earth until the Lord calls you home to heaven where He promises an unending feast.
The Pax Domini and Agnus Dei
We continue with the Pax Domini which is Latin for “The peace of the Lord” which is exactly what is being offered to you in this blessed Sacrament. The Agnus Dei is also a Latin phrase. It’s from the words of John the Baptizer when he identified Jesus as the “Lamb of God” who takes away the sins of the world. Through His body and blood Christ grants us peace for our souls. We continue now with the Distribution of the Lord’s Supper.
The Nunc Dimittis
Yes, we have another Latin phrase which means “Now let us.” It’s the words Simeon said when he saw Jesus as a baby at the Temple. Having seen the Savior with his own eyes, the aged Simeon was ready to depart this life in peace. We can sing these same words because we’ve been blessed to see our Savior Jesus in this Sacrament. Through Him, our sins are forgiven and we have peace with God.
The Thanksgiving and Post-Communion Collect
It’s only right that we would give thanks for what we’ve just received. In the Collect we especially thank the Lord for strengthening our faith through this blessed Sacrament and giving us the assurance of salvation.
That completes the Service of the Sacrament and I think you’ll all agree that we have a lot to digest. If you aren’t sure of something that you heard, please take a written copy of the sermon which are at the back of the church and reread it. As always, I’m more than happy to answer any of your questions. I’ll conclude today by saying that we still have a tiny portion of the liturgy to examine yet along with a whole bunch of loose ends related to the Divine Service. For now, I do sincerely pray that you’ve been blessed once again with a deeper understanding of “why we do what we do” in our worship. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria