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 !