Yesterday, Sunday, started out bad. I knew we were only having Matins at church and not receiving the Lords Supper. I had problems singing or even listening to the sermon. The fault was mine for the Pastor preached well with some interesting insights into the sermon text. After church we were among the last to leave because I had to get Mary’s wheel chair from the back of the church. We have to wait until most of the people are out so I don’t run them over or trip up little old church ladies. After we shook the Pastor’s hand we had to wait in the entrance area because the exit was blocked by people talking. It was fortunate that I forgot Mary’s walker and had to use her wheelchair. If Mary was using her walker I would have excused us and made for the exit. As it was, before we could get out Pastor came out and looked around. It appeared as if he was looking to see if the coast was clear. Then he stated he was going to serve Communion if anyone wanted. I heard someone say “oh good”. I know I was glad.
We were then transported back in time for a very brief glimpse of the Christians in the Roman catacombs. Six adults stood before the Alter of the Lord and spoke the Confession and Absolution. We said the liturgy of the Sacrament. We received the very Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We did this in opposition to the voters of the church. We did this at the command of our Lord Jesus Christ.
No one guarded the door. There was no threat of soldiers storming in on us and taking us away to prison although there was the very real threat of incurring the wrath of the voters. Which in America at this time may be worse. To suffer pain or even death for the Faith may be easer than trying to not hurt the feelings of voters. To maintain the balance of remaining faithful to God and keeping people happy. Week after week churches error trying to keep it’s people happy. Everyone is so afraid someone will get offended and get mad and leave. So voters and even pastors back off and let the tyranny of the voters grow. It’s tough I know. I have felt this pressure many times. Sometimes, with the help of God, I was able to resist. Other times my weakness won out. But thanks be to God we have forgiveness in His Son, Jesus the Christ.
Perhaps, next time, our little remnant, our little band of rebels will grow. Perhaps our witness of faith will prompt a reexamination of the voter’s decision. Perhaps soon we will return to the Biblical practice of Communion every Lords Day (Sunday). No, not perhaps. With God all things are possible. So we will return to the rightful practice in God’s time. Amen.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Tyranny of the Voters Assembly
Three years ago when we moved to Missouri I made a conscious decision to not become a voting member of our new church. I repent my decision now. When I became a Lutheran in 1980 I was immediately made a member of a board. With few, very very few, exceptions I served in a church office the entire time I was in Illinois. I was tired of the confrontations and battles for the Faith.
Having escaped Illinois with my sanity somewhat intact I decided to keep it healthy by not jumping into the fray in a new church. My mental health holiday has ended.
A month ago the voters assembly at our church voted 14-12 to end every Sunday Communion. Now I’m not quite so egotistical to believe my presence nor my eloquent and lofty arguments against this vote would have helped. But I do know my abstance, my abdication of my duty, helped bring error back into the church.
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
And now my argument against reducing the frequency of Communion. Or as I like to call it…….
“What! Are you stupid!?!”
First I would point the voters to the Small Catechism. Specifically the section on the Lords Supper. I would ask them to look up all the Bible references, study them, and pray over the Scriptures. I would also ask them to read the twenty “Christian Questions with their answers”, specifically question 20 which reads as following…
But what should you do if you are not aware of this need and have no hunger and thirst for the Sacrament?
To such a person no better advice can be given than this: first, he should touch his body to see if he still has flesh and blood. Then he should believe what the Scriptures say of it in Galatians 5 and Romans 7.
Second, he should look around to see whether he is still in the world, and remember that there will be no lack of sin and trouble, as the Scriptures say in John 15-16 and 1 John 2 and 5.
Third, he will certainly have the devil also around him, who with his lying and murdering day and night will let him have no peace, within or without, as the Scriptures picture him in John 8 and 16; 1 Peter 5; Ephesians 6; and 2 Timothy 2.
I contend that if you feel the need to reduce the frequency of communion that you don’t feel the need for, nor even believe in the benefits of, the Lords Supper. If you are breathing and still within this veil of tears you are indeed a sinner. As such you need what God offers in His Supper. The forgiveness of sins. Which leads me to my next point…
In the second century Ignatius, an early church father, wrote in the twentieth chapter of his letter to the Ephesians: “… breaking one and the same bread, which is the medicine of immortality, the antidote against death which gives eternal life in Jesus Christ” (emphases mine). God condemns us to eternal death for our sins and at the same time gives us the antidote to save us through His Son’s Body and Blood. If we reduce the frequency of Communion we are slapping God’s hand away and saying “I don’t need your help”. This in it’s self is the Damnable sin of rejecting the Holy Spirit. Our passing this vote puts our very souls in jeopardy of the fires of hell unless we repent and reverse the vote.
My next point is on a different tact. While those in favor of reducing Communion frequency may think they don’t need the Lords Supper every Sunday they have only to stay in their pews and not go forward to the Lord’s Table. But their vote blocks the rest of us from getting to the life saving Body and Blood. It would be the same as blocking someone from eating every day. Or a sick person from going to the doctor. Christian compassion on their part should prompt them to allow us to return to the Lord’s Table every Sunday. Christian compassion on our part should prompt us to lovingly admonish our erroring brothers and sisters.
The final irony is this past Sunday it was announced that the new policy would start next Sunday. So, no Communion on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and Lent begins. We will be reminded on that day that “from dust we did come and to dust we will return”. During this season of Lent we are to look inward at our own grievous sins at the same time looking forward to our Lord’s Passion on the Cross offering up his body and blood for us. Our sins place our hands firmly upon the hammer that drove the nails piercing our Savior’s flesh. That same Body and Blood our church has given up….. for Lent.
Kyrie Eleison !
Having escaped Illinois with my sanity somewhat intact I decided to keep it healthy by not jumping into the fray in a new church. My mental health holiday has ended.
A month ago the voters assembly at our church voted 14-12 to end every Sunday Communion. Now I’m not quite so egotistical to believe my presence nor my eloquent and lofty arguments against this vote would have helped. But I do know my abstance, my abdication of my duty, helped bring error back into the church.
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
And now my argument against reducing the frequency of Communion. Or as I like to call it…….
“What! Are you stupid!?!”
First I would point the voters to the Small Catechism. Specifically the section on the Lords Supper. I would ask them to look up all the Bible references, study them, and pray over the Scriptures. I would also ask them to read the twenty “Christian Questions with their answers”, specifically question 20 which reads as following…
But what should you do if you are not aware of this need and have no hunger and thirst for the Sacrament?
To such a person no better advice can be given than this: first, he should touch his body to see if he still has flesh and blood. Then he should believe what the Scriptures say of it in Galatians 5 and Romans 7.
Second, he should look around to see whether he is still in the world, and remember that there will be no lack of sin and trouble, as the Scriptures say in John 15-16 and 1 John 2 and 5.
Third, he will certainly have the devil also around him, who with his lying and murdering day and night will let him have no peace, within or without, as the Scriptures picture him in John 8 and 16; 1 Peter 5; Ephesians 6; and 2 Timothy 2.
I contend that if you feel the need to reduce the frequency of communion that you don’t feel the need for, nor even believe in the benefits of, the Lords Supper. If you are breathing and still within this veil of tears you are indeed a sinner. As such you need what God offers in His Supper. The forgiveness of sins. Which leads me to my next point…
In the second century Ignatius, an early church father, wrote in the twentieth chapter of his letter to the Ephesians: “… breaking one and the same bread, which is the medicine of immortality, the antidote against death which gives eternal life in Jesus Christ” (emphases mine). God condemns us to eternal death for our sins and at the same time gives us the antidote to save us through His Son’s Body and Blood. If we reduce the frequency of Communion we are slapping God’s hand away and saying “I don’t need your help”. This in it’s self is the Damnable sin of rejecting the Holy Spirit. Our passing this vote puts our very souls in jeopardy of the fires of hell unless we repent and reverse the vote.
My next point is on a different tact. While those in favor of reducing Communion frequency may think they don’t need the Lords Supper every Sunday they have only to stay in their pews and not go forward to the Lord’s Table. But their vote blocks the rest of us from getting to the life saving Body and Blood. It would be the same as blocking someone from eating every day. Or a sick person from going to the doctor. Christian compassion on their part should prompt them to allow us to return to the Lord’s Table every Sunday. Christian compassion on our part should prompt us to lovingly admonish our erroring brothers and sisters.
The final irony is this past Sunday it was announced that the new policy would start next Sunday. So, no Communion on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and Lent begins. We will be reminded on that day that “from dust we did come and to dust we will return”. During this season of Lent we are to look inward at our own grievous sins at the same time looking forward to our Lord’s Passion on the Cross offering up his body and blood for us. Our sins place our hands firmly upon the hammer that drove the nails piercing our Savior’s flesh. That same Body and Blood our church has given up….. for Lent.
Kyrie Eleison !
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)