Comments on: Is this what Christ intended we do with His Supper?

By: Lewis

Lewis — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 13:53:44 +0000

Certainly not. I agree with wmc’s comment. This is idolatry. The Lord is not something to be paraded around a sanctuary like some saint celebration, ready to be burned. He is to be feared in awesome reverence and to be received in the Lord’s Supper in the manner in which He comes: quietly, unassumingly, movingly, strongly. And He comes not because of our power, but because of His on the Cross and in His resurrection.
What’s interesting is they are moving images watching the screen, listening to the music (kind of sounded like Michael Card-never heard of the guy singing, though). The emotionality moved me. I would guess that that’s what attracts people to such churches and leaders. But, that’s all.
We have to find a way, as Lutherans, if we want to witness to this culture, right now, today, to engage the mysterious (not mystical) nature of our belief system. We don’t have to be overly emotional, and we certainly don’t place our emphasis on such a fleeting thing. But, if we fall on the Word of God as the basis and point out the myriad mysteries contained within, I think we’d be okay.
Again, as wmc said, the people of today are likely to fall into mystical belief. They love it. We love the mysterious. We love not knowing (because it jives with postmodern thought).
As Lutherans, we should engage more of the mysterious nature that we have: Baptism, Lord’s Supper, the ancient prayer services. It ties the people there into both the ancient and the modern. That’s what all the studies are showing us they want.

By: Carl

Carl — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 15:34:24 +0000

To read an excellent paper on the subject of pietism and the
R.C. theology that embraces it, go here:
http://www.christforus.org/Papers/Content/justificationpaper.html

By: Christine

Christine — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 04:32:21 +0000

Lito,
Again I would remind you that Orthodox Christians also teach the same doctrine of apostolic succession as Roman Catholics. It is becoming increasingly clear to me that while Lutherans and Catholics do share some common history and practice (and there is no denying that Luther simply carried over some of the practices he inherited from the Church of Rome) Orthodox and Catholics have far more in common in their sacramental lives, as evidenced by Pope Benedict’s warm reception in Turkey.
I recognize that to Lutherans Catholics are worshiping mere “bread” in that monstrance but we believe that God doesn’t take back his gifts once consecrated.

By: Lito Cruz

Lito Cruz — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:30:58 +0000

Jack,
RC have this ability by virtue of their office to change the elements
Yep, that is what they claim, I was taught that. For them all the Communion celebrated by other denoms even those who believe in the Real Presence, ie Lutherans and Anglicans and EO are bogus because the Supper is tied to the pedigree of the one ordained. It is by virtue of apostolic succession and they claim that.
My opinion is that if the validity of the Sacrament is not based on the Word’s of Christ but based on the man who is speaking the Word of Christ ie tied to the office, then the question becomes who has the better office? RCC always would raise its hands and say “Look, we are the true franchise of the Church of the Jesus Christ since your ministers have not been ordained by our Bishops all their sacraments are fake”. They believe they are the exclusive distributor of Christianity, all the rest are not authorized dealers.
I am being sarcastic as usual.
Lito

By: John H

John H — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:44:55 +0000

The only response I can make is: “What part of ‘take, eat’ didn’t you understand?”

By: Jack Kilcrease

Jack Kilcrease — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:55:29 +0000

I had a hard time getting through it with that horrid music.
As Dr. Martin Luther tells us “Christ said ‘take eat’ not ‘take and worship!’ So, to answer your question: no!
In any case, is it not interesting what this proves about Catholicism? We’re told what the Priest’s name is, we’re told about how the Priests of the RC have this ability by virtue of their office to change the elements and then it’s just a bunch of picture of the Priest holding the host with that terrible music. What happened to the Word? In other words, the focus has gone away from God’s promises to this person and his office. It’s his office which is the true mediator and not the Word. Huh, I seem to remember Luther saying something about the eschatological significance of this in the Smalkald articles . . . . Does anyone recall what this was?

By: Rev. Allen Yount

Rev. Allen Yount — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:43:54 +0000

“To not worship [Christ] is sin, as Augustine noted.”
Ah, but how do we worship Him? This quote from the Apology to the Augsburg Confession answers that question: “The woman [who annointed Christ's feet in Luke 7] came with the opinion that the forgiveness of sins should be sought in Christ. This worship is the highest worship of Christ. She could think nothing greater about Christ. To seek forgiveness of sins from Him was truly to acknowledge the Messiah. To think of Christ this way, to worship Him this way, is truly to believe” (Ap V(III), 154 in Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, Second edition).
Christ’s Words of Institution – the source of all our Lutheran doctrine and practice for the Lord’s Supper – show that receiving the forgiveness of sins is the kind of worship He desires from us when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper: “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me…Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the New Testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me” (LSB, p. 162).
We worship Christ when we do what He has told us to do in the Lord’s Supper: eat and drink His body and blood to receive the forgiveness of sins. Adoring the form of the bread isn’t really worshiping Him at all.

By: Bror Erickson

Bror Erickson — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:28:02 +0000

Carson,
You are correct not to worship Christ is a sin. So we as Lutherans Worship Him in, with, and under the bread and wine. We do this by listening to His words “take eat”,”take drink of it.” In doing what He says, we give Him true honor and glory. We don’t do this by responding to His presence the same way the papparazzi respond to the presence of Paris Hilton.
Jesus gave us the blessed gift of the Eucharist for a purpose. That purpose is that in eating the body, and drinking the blood He sacrificed on the cross 2,000 years ago, we would consume holiness, and receive the forgiveness of sins. I noticed the forgiveness of sins wasn’t mentioned in the video. God is always present with us, and therefore Jesus is always present with us according to both His divine and human natures. He doesn’t need a priest or a piece of bread to be present with us. But we need bread and wine so that we can consume His body and drink His blood, and thereby receive the forgiveness of sins He has promised to give us in Holy Communion. Now that is something to go to Church for.

By: Carson Weber

Carson Weber — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 15:04:51 +0000

If you believe that “it” is Christ, yes. To not worship him is to sin, as Augustine noted.

By: Patrick Kyle

Patrick Kyle — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 02:04:15 +0000

Man,
This kind of stuff will appeal directly to a lot of evangelicals. Many are hungering for more than the average megachurch can serve up. Even some baptists are clamoring for weekly communion(www.internetmonk.com)We have our work cut out for us refuting errors on both sides and marking out the Scriptural middle way on this issue. This is a great opportunity for us if we can quit preaching to the choir and actually engage the culture.
McCain: Weekly communion, great! Praying to bread, bad!