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Pentecost
1996
 Dear
Fellow Believers:
Grace to
you, and peace, from God, our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ in the power of
the Spirit. As our first century brothers and sisters struggled with theological
issues, so we continue to do so in these latter years of the 20th century. This
side of heaven it will always be so. That's the reality. The question - how do
we handle them? After
a long day at the 1995 synodical convention, I sat in the hotel room with
a wonderful
brother in Christ, Roger Stoehr. During
the conversation Roger, a native Minnesotan, shared this insight with me. "When
I was going through confirmation instruction, my pastor taught me to prepare
for
the Sacrament of Communion by asking four questions:
- Am
I a sinner?
- Am I sorry for my sins?
- Do
I believe that Jesus gives me His body and blood together with the bread and wine
for the forgiveness of my sins?
- Will
I try, with God's help, to amend my sinful life?"
Then
he said, "There is one question my pastor did not teach me to ask . .
. to what Synod do you belong?' Roger's
faithful pastor knew that Scripture does not teach us to ask that question. In
recent years statements have been made which endeavor to bind consciences to a
communion practice which seems unscriptural and unevangelical to many of us. In
responding to such statements, we have dug into the Word of God to formulate A
Declaration Of Eucharistic Understanding and Practice and the Bible Study,
from which it is drawn. We circulate it through our Synod with the prayer that
the Spirit of God will bless the discussions and study of this matter in congregations,
circuit meetings, pastoral conferences, etc. At
this time, more than 500 individuals and congregations have voluntarily expressed
their support of the Declaration. The involvement of the laity is encouraged,
as informed participation on the part of the lay people is essential to the spiritual
health of an evangelical synod. We
are aware that A Study of Communion Practice is on the agenda of the Commission
on Theology and Church Relations and pray for God's blessings on their efforts
as we look forward to their report. We
are especially heartened by the statement of the Commission which is found in
the December 1995 Lutheran Wittness article on "Mary and The Saints."
"For Lutherans,
a doctrine taught as the Word of God but which can not be proven from
Scripture,
is just as unscriptural as one that is contrary to the clear teachings of
Scripture. "
It
is our prayer that a grass roots study of A Declaration Of Eucharistic Understanding
and Practice and the attending Bible Study will be blessed by God who
has given to His church the wonderful gift of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Peace
and Joy in Christ, For the
Committee - 
The
Committee for A Declaration
Of Eucharstic Understanding and
Practice
and the Bible Study; August Bernthal, Ronald Fink,
John Frerking, John Glamann,
Lloyd Goetz, William Hassold,
John F. Johnson,
Kevin Koenig,
Roy Lidbom, George Loose,
David G. Ludwig, Victor Mennicke,
Gerhard Michael Jr, William Qualman,
Edgar Trinklein. 
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Introduction: |
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Lutheran theology holds that doctrina
divina - in contrast to doctrina
humana - be based solely on the clear witness of Scripture known as sedes
doctrinae. A parallel practice is that public teaching must be congruent
with the clear witness of the Confessions. The Scriptures must ever be and remain
norma normans, while our Confessions
must ever be and remain norma normata. Accordingly
we believe, teach and confess: Eucharistic understanding and practice must be
drawn from, and based on clear passages of Scripture which speak of it and the
confessions we relate to it. Eucharistic understanding and practice must not be
based on general principles regarding fellowship or derive from non-New Testament
phenomena such as denominationalism and/or synodical affiliation. Attempts to
inject these both cloud and muddy the theological waters.
| | 1. | Why
does the church celebrate the Sacrament of the Altar? |
| | Jesus
Christ, the Savior of the world, instituted it. (Matt.
26:26-28; Mk.
14:22-24; Lk.
22:17-20; 1Cor.
11:23-29) | | | | We
believe, teach and confess: | | | | | The
Supper of our Lord was not invented, devised or instituted by Christ on the basis
of human counsel or deliberation. (Large Catechism
[LC] V.3-4) | | | | We
reject and condemn: | | | | | Any
notion that the institution of Christ may be abolished or altered in any manner
which distorts or annuls the plain word of the Lord. (LC
V.5-7) | | 2. | What
does the Church confess as it celebrates the Eucharist? |
| | It
proclaims the salvational death of Christ until His return (I
Cor. 11:26). It confesses that the true body and blood of Christ are offered
with bread and wine for Christians to eat and drink (I
Cor.11:23ff, Matt.
26:26ff). | | | | We
believe, teach and confess: | | | | | The
Sacrament is bread and wine comprehended in God's Word (LC
V.8-9) and offered to God's people as it proclaims the precious gospel of
grace. Christ is always Lord of the Eucharist. |
| | | We
reject and condemn: | | | | | Any
notion that the Word can be removed or disconnected from the celebration or that
human instruments may instruct Christ or alter what He has plainly spoken (LC
V. 12-14). | | 3. | For
whom has Christ instituted the Sacrament? |
| | For
disciples of every age who recognize and repent of sins, embrace Jesus Christ
as personal Savior and confess faith in the words: "given and poured out
for you" (LC V.33-35). |
| | | We
believe, teach and confess: | | | | | The
blessings of the Sacrament are received by faith of the heart which discerns and
desires this treasure (LC V.36-37). |
| | | We
reject and condemn: | | | | | Any
notion that God's people have a right to alter, amend, expand, or even reject
the simple words of Scripture and/or the direct witness of our Confessions. |
| 4. | For
whom is the Eucharist not intended? |
| | Those
who do not trust in the grace of God revealed in the life, obedient death and
resurrection of Christ. Those who do not discern the essence, purpose and benefits
of the Sacrament. | |
| We
believe, teach and confess: | | | The
shameless and unruly who do not desire forgiveness of sin are not fit to receive
forgiveness and must be told to stay away (LC V.58).
Those who fail to discern the essence and purpose of the Holy Supper come under
judgment as they eat and drink (I
Cor. 11:27-33). | | We
reject and condemn: | | | The
notion that Christians who feel unworthy or
who have a weak faith are to be excluded. Those who are neither callous toward
the Sacrament nor dissolute should not absent themselves even though weak and
frail. The Sacrament does not depend
on our worthiness. We come as poor and miserable people because we are unworthy.
The only exceptions are persons who desire no grace or absolution and have no
intention to amend their lives (LC V.58-61).
| | 5. | Who,
then, is an unworthy guest at the celebration? |
| | Those
who despise the Sacrament and lead unchristian lives receive the Sacrament to
their harm (LC V.58-61). |
| | | We
believe, teach and confess: | | | | | The
church wisely calls for self-examination, proper penitence and for faith in the
words of Christ: "Given and shed for YOU." The blessing is too precious
to withhold, since in the Sacrament we receive from the lips of Christ forgiveness
of sins which the Holy Spirit conveys. |
| | | We
reject and condemn: | | | | | The
practice of admitting other criteria of exclusion drawn from tradition, historical
practices, synodical resolutions, dogmatic statements, etc. |
| 6. | Who
determines worthiness at the Supper? |
| | Christians
are to realize that when they come together in the Lord "as a church"
(I
Cor. 11:18), the responsibility for self-examination and discernment obviously
lies with the individual believer (I
Cor.11:28). | | | | We
believe, teach and confess: | | | | | Those
who cherish and honor the Sacrament will of their own accord urge and impel themselves
to partake of the body and blood of their Savior (LC
V.43). The clear words of Christ to remember his salvational death are both
precept and command which enjoin the celebration upon his people. (LC
V, 45) But we are not granted liberty to despise the Sacrament. (LC
V, 49) | | | | We
reject and condemn: | | | | | The
notion that we are to act distantly toward the Sacrament, neglect it, or grow
cold and callous toward it (LC V.67). Also
the belief and practice that the congregation, the celebrating pastor, the church
body, or the denomination has the right to impose additional restrictions upon
the believer and presume the right of examination clearly imposed upon each believer
(I
Cor. 11:17-34). | |
Conclusion: |
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We believe, teach and confess that there
is only one kind of unworthy guest; namely, those who do not believe (John
3:18). Unworthy use of the Sacrament increases, magnifies and aggravates condemnation
(I
Cor. 11:27, 29 FC. Epit. VII, 16). No
genuine believer who retains a living faith will receive the Sacrament to condemnation.
Christ gave us the Supper for Christians who are weak in faith, but repentant,
in order to comfort and strengthen their weak faith (FC,
Ep., VII, 18). The entire worthiness of guests at the
heavenly feast consists solely in the most holy obedience and complete merit of
Christ, not in our own virtues or preparation (FC,
Ep., VII, 19-20). Neither Scriptures nor the Confessions
impose a denominational or synodical requirement on baptized Christians who desire
to confess the Real Presence and receive the body and blood of Christ offered
in the Eucharist. |
| |
Lloyd H. Goetz, William J. Hassold
John F. Johnson, George
A. Loose
Victor O. Mennicke |
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|
| | The
Committee for A Declaration Of Eucharistic Understanding and Practice and
the Bible Study is comprised of: August Bernthal, Ronald Fink, John
Frerking, John Glamann, Lloyd Goetz, William Hassold, John F. Johnson, Kevin Koenig,
Roy Lidbom, George Loose, David G. Ludwig, Victor Mennicke, Gerhard Michael Jr.,
William Qualman, Edgar Trinklein. | |
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A Declaration of Eucharistic
Understanding
and Practice As
members of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
desiring to support the mission of the Synod and to be faithful to Scripture and
the Lutheran Confessions, we declare the following to be our eucharistic understanding
and practice: - Christ instituted the Sacrament of His Body and
Blood to nourish and sustain His people and to assure them of His grace.
- Saint
Paul defines worthy reception of the Body and Blood in terms of self-examination
and discernment of the Lord's Body (I
Corinthians 11:28-29).
- Our Lutheran Confessions, in the words of the
Small Catechism state clearly that one is truly worthy and well prepared who has
faith in the words of Christ: "Given and Shed for you for the remission
of sins" (SC VI, 10).
- Our
Lutheran Confessions, in the words of the Large Catechism state clearly that only
those should exclude themselves from the Sacrament who desire no grace and absolution
and have no intention to amend their lives (LC
V, 61).
- A practice congruent with Scripture and the Confessions calls
for the Sacrament to be shared with those who repent of their sins, believe the
Real Presence and sincerely intend to amend their lives.
- Scripture imposes
no denominational requirement on baptized Christians who accept the Real Presence
and are able to examine themselves and desire to receive the Body and Blood of
Christ offered in the Lord's Supper.
Therefore
we affirm the right of the Lutheran congregation and pastors to offer the Eucharist
to all who share this biblical and confessional stance. We declare this to be
our Eucharistic understanding and practice and commend it to others.
*Roger
and his wife, Lois, were tragically killed in an automobile accident shortly after
the convention. We look forward to the joy of eternal reunion with them at the
heavenly banquet prepared by our crucified, risen, and ascended Savior, Jesus
Christ. |
Church Administrative Office