HOLY COMMUNION AT REDEEMER

Holy Communion belongs to Jesus.

The pastor does not make the Sacrament effective through his personality or spiritual power. The congregation does not turn ordinary bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood through the intensity of its faith. Christ instituted the Sacrament, speaks through His Word, and gives what He promises.

The words “given and shed for you” are the heart of the Sacrament.

Jesus does not merely remind us that forgiveness exists. He delivers His forgiveness personally. He places into our mouths the same body that was given upon the cross and the same blood that was shed for the sins of the world.

The Lord’s Supper is Christ’s gift for sinners who need mercy.

Lutherans confess that communicants receive bread and wine and, because of Christ’s institution and promise, His true body and blood.

We do not attempt to explain this mystery through philosophical speculation. We confess what Christ says:

“This is My body.”

“This is My blood.”

The Apostle Paul describes the cup as a participation in the blood of Christ and the bread as a participation in the body of Christ. The Lord’s Supper is therefore much more than a mental recollection of something Jesus did long ago.

Christ crucified and risen comes to His people through the means He established.

The Lord’s Supper gives exactly what Christ’s words promise: forgiveness of sins.

Where there is forgiveness, there is also life and salvation.

The Sacrament does not repeat Christ’s sacrifice or add anything to His finished work upon the cross. Jesus died once for all. In Holy Communion, He distributes the benefits of that completed sacrifice to His people.

The Christian does not come to the altar to offer something to God. We come with empty hands and open mouths to receive what Christ gives.

We bring our sins. Christ gives His forgiveness.

We bring our weakness. Christ gives His strength.

We bring our mortality. Christ gives the pledge of resurrection and eternal life.

Holy Communion is deeply personal. Christ’s body and blood are given specifically “for you.”

The Sacrament is not, however, private. When Christians receive from one altar, they publicly confess that they are united in the faith taught at that altar.

The Apostle Paul writes, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”

Communion expresses both our unity with Christ and our unity with one another. Receiving together says that we share a common confession concerning Christ, His Word, His Sacraments, and the Christian faith.

For this reason, differences in Christian teaching cannot simply be set aside at the Communion rail. The altar is not the place where divided churches pretend that no division exists. Genuine unity is built upon the truth of God’s Word.

Redeemer follows the historic practice commonly called closed Communion.

This does not mean that our hearts are closed to visitors or that we believe only Lutherans are Christians. We gladly acknowledge that Christians are found wherever the Gospel of Jesus Christ is confessed and trusted.

Closed Communion means that those who receive together should share the faith confessed at the altar. It also recognizes that the Lord’s Supper must be received with faith in Christ’s words and with an understanding of what He gives.

The practice is grounded in three biblical concerns:

First, Holy Communion is Christ’s true body and blood and must not be treated as an ordinary meal or a mere symbol.

Second, receiving Communion is a public confession of unity in Christian doctrine.

Third, pastors are called to care for those who commune and to help them receive the Sacrament faithfully.

Our practice is therefore not intended as a statement about someone’s sincerity, intelligence, moral worth, or standing before God. It is an act of confession and pastoral care.

Those who commune at Redeemer are ordinarily: • Baptized Christians • Instructed in the Christian faith • Able to examine themselves • Penitent for their sins • Trusting Christ’s words concerning His body, blood, and forgiveness • United with the confession taught by this congregation • Members of an LCMS congregation or a church body in altar and pulpit fellowship with the LCMS

Members of other LCMS congregations are encouraged to introduce themselves to the pastor before the Divine Service, especially when visiting Redeemer for the first time.

If you are not presently a member of an LCMS congregation, please speak with the pastor before receiving Communion.

A brief conversation allows the pastor to learn about your church background, answer questions, and explain our teaching and practice.

This is not intended to embarrass anyone or subject visitors to an interrogation. The pastor is responsible for caring for those who come to the altar, and that responsibility cannot be exercised faithfully when nothing is known about the person’s Baptism, confession, or understanding of the Sacrament.

Churches use the word “Communion” while teaching very different things about it. Some believe the bread and wine merely symbolize an absent Christ. Others understand Communion primarily as something Christians do to remember Jesus or demonstrate their faith. Lutherans confess that Christ is truly present and active, giving His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.

These differences are real and deserve honest, respectful conversation.

We are grateful that you are worshiping with us.

You are encouraged to participate in the prayers, hymns, Scripture readings, and the hearing of God’s Word. We ask that you speak with the pastor before receiving the Lord’s Supper.

Refraining from Communion on a particular Sunday does not mean that you are unwanted or that we are declaring you to be outside the Christian faith. It means that the unity expressed at the altar should not be assumed before we have had an opportunity to speak about what we believe.

The pastor would be glad to meet with you, listen to your questions, and explain the path toward altar fellowship.

If you are uncertain about Christ’s presence in the Sacrament, the meaning of Communion, or the differences between Christian churches, please refrain from communing and speak with the pastor.

There is no shame in asking questions.

The Lord’s Supper is too precious to receive carelessly and too comforting to leave unexplained. We would rather take time to teach faithfully than pressure someone to act without understanding.

You may attend adult catechesis or arrange a private conversation without making an immediate commitment to membership.

A person should refrain from receiving Communion and speak with the pastor if he or she: • Has not been baptized • Has not been instructed in the Christian faith • Does not believe Christ’s words concerning His body and blood • Is unable to examine himself or herself • Is unwilling to repent of known sin • Refuses reconciliation while holding hatred against another person • Belongs to a church body whose confession differs from that of the LCMS • Is uncertain about what is being received

Refraining is not a declaration that Christ has no mercy for you. It is an opportunity to receive pastoral care and instruction so that you may approach the Sacrament with faith, repentance, and understanding.

Before receiving Communion, Christians are called to examine themselves.

Self-examination does not mean proving that we are good enough for Christ. No one comes to the altar because he or she has achieved spiritual worthiness.

We examine ourselves by asking: • Do I recognize that I am a sinner? • Am I sorry for my sins? • Do I desire Christ’s forgiveness? • Do I believe His words that this is His body and blood, given and shed for me? • Do I desire, with God’s help, to turn away from sin and live according to His Word? • Am I willing to forgive others as Christ has forgiven me?

The person who feels no need for forgiveness misunderstands the Sacrament. The person who is troubled by sin and clings to Christ’s promise is exactly the kind of person for whom the Sacrament was given.

Our confidence rests not in the strength of our repentance or faith, but in Christ’s words: “given and shed for you.”

The Lord’s Supper is not a reward for Christians who feel spiritually strong.

It is medicine for the weak.

A Christian may come carrying grief, temptation, fear, guilt, or doubt. Feelings may rise and fall, but Christ’s promise remains certain. The Sacrament directs us away from measuring the strength of our faith and toward the Savior who gives Himself for us.

Weak faith still receives a strong Christ.

If you are troubled about whether you should commune, speak with the pastor. His calling is to help burdened consciences receive Christ’s comfort, not to drive repentant sinners away.

Baptized children are members of Christ’s Church and should be raised within the worshiping life of the congregation.

Before receiving Holy Communion, children are carefully instructed so that they can examine themselves, confess the Christian faith, and recognize Christ’s body and blood in the Sacrament.

Parents who would like to discuss preparation for their child’s first Communion or confirmation should speak with the pastor. The congregation and family work together to teach the faith and prepare children to receive Christ’s gifts faithfully.

Confirmation should not be treated as graduation from church. It is a public confession of the baptismal faith and the beginning of a mature life of receiving Christ’s Word and Sacrament.

Members who are unable to approach the Communion rail because of illness, disability, or another physical limitation should notify an usher or speak with the pastor before the service. Appropriate arrangements can be made.

Members who are hospitalized, homebound, or living in a care facility may request a pastoral visit and Holy Communion.

Physical absence from the church building does not make someone less important to the congregation. Redeemer desires to care faithfully for those who cannot attend the Divine Service.

If you have an allergy, medical condition, mobility concern, or another need that may affect how you receive the Sacrament, please speak privately with the pastor before the service.

Do not assume that a particular accommodation is available without first asking. The pastor will explain what can be provided while preserving a faithful administration of the Sacrament.

Preparation may include: • Remembering your Baptism • Reading the Ten Commandments • Confessing your sins • Praying the Lord’s Prayer • Reviewing the Christian Questions and Their Answers in Luther’s Small Catechism • Seeking reconciliation with someone you have wronged • Speaking with the pastor when a sin is deeply troubling your conscience • Arriving early enough to pray quietly before the service

Fasting before Communion is a Christian freedom. It may be a useful bodily discipline, but it does not make someone more worthy or earn a greater blessing.

The best preparation is faith in Christ’s words: “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”

Redeemer’s Communion practice is sometimes countercultural. Our age often treats sincerity as the only requirement for religious participation and considers boundaries inherently unloving.

Christian love, however, does not ignore truth. It teaches clearly, cares patiently, and refuses to treat Christ’s gifts casually.

We guard the Sacrament because it is precious. We prepare people because Christ’s words matter. We seek unity because Communion declares that we are one body.

Our desire is not to keep repentant sinners away from Jesus. Our desire is to bring people to His altar through faithful teaching, honest confession, and careful pastoral care.

At the altar, Christ gives no religious gimmick and no empty symbol.

He gives Himself.

His body was given into death for you. His blood was shed for you. His forgiveness is spoken and delivered to you.

Here the theology of the cross becomes deeply personal. The crucified and risen Lord places the fruits of His sacrifice into the mouths of sinners.

Christ’s body and blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.

If you have questions about Holy Communion or our practice at Redeemer, please contact Pastor Johnson. He will be glad to speak with you.