ROUGHLY EDITED COPY LUTHERAN PASTORAL THEOLOGY & PRACTICE LPTP-25 Captioning Provided By: Caption First, Inc. P.O. Box 1924 Lombard, IL 60148 800-825-5234 www.captionfirst.com *** This text is being provided in a rough draft format. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings. *** >> JOSH: I've got another question that's probably both doctrinal and pragmatic. What should a pastor keep in mind about the consecration and distribution of the Lord's Supper? And, while it's on my mind, I wonder if you would touch upon one of the several questions that Nick asked. What is the proper care of the elements following worship? That reminds me of yet one more question. Can the elements be taken by an elder to a shut-in without reconsecration? >> DR. WARNECK: Joshua, your questions are right on the mark and represent the kind of questions that our people have as they observe their pastor going about his work in the chancel in the consecration and distribution of the Lord's Supper. We want to underscore at the outset that our comprehension of this sacred action rests entirely upon the word and the command and the institution of Christ our Lord. So the words the laint term werba (ph) are really critical here in the consecration and thereafter the distribution. The elements are embraced by Christ and His word. And at that point the communicants also receiving the same through the distribution, they receive the Lord's body and blood, as Luther says, in, with, and under these elements of bread and wine. Now, a pastor, therefore, will approach this ministry not with fear and trembling but certainly with certain respect and, certainly, much awareness. And, because the words are important, he will want to speak those words loudly and clearly. In fact, you will find that rubric in the Formula of Concord, article 7. Versus simply hovering over the elements at the altar and mumbling the words, the pastor may advisedly -- well, if he has a free-standing altar in the church, this is very easy. He can officiate with the consecration in the presence of the people and speak clearly and forthrightly. If the altar, as in many of our older churches, is attached to the wall, he can stand to the side slightly as he reads those words of institution and makes the sign of the cross over the host and then over the cup. So that the people are somewhat in on the action, they observe what the pastor's doing here, how he is using our Lord's words, which is crucial and paramount here, and how these elements which they are going to partake orally and physically at the altar in just a few moments are the bearers of the eternal things that Christ places here, His body and his blood for the remission of their sins. So in our Lutheran practice we're very open about this and somewhat inclusive in terms of how the people see and what they hear. Our Lord, through His called servant, the pastor, the Lord's words, the Lord's institution, the Lord's command embracing these things for this sacred purpose. Now, you may have a question about the elements following the Lord's Supper, the distribution and partaking. What of those elements? What of the bread and wine? And your question really is: Is there some abiding significance attached to the bread and the wine following the communion service? You could also raise that question in the eventuality that a particle of the wafer might drop to the floor or a drop of the -- from the chalice might drop also to the chancel floor. Our understanding here is this: That, when those elements are outside the periphery, if I may put it, of the Lord's command and institution which the pastor is administrating here, they are just what they are -- bread and wine. And there is no longer any abiding sacred significance to them, even though we want to handle them properly just because they were used in this sacred purpose. But, as if some aura was attached to the elements beyond the communion service, that we do not believe. So what does the pastor do, together with his altar guild? The remaining host that was unused can be placed back into the sacristy for a later celebration of the sacrament. Also the wine left in the flagon or the pitcher can be placed and reserved for a further later use in the celebration of the sacrament. The wine remaining in the chancel is absorbed in various ways. It has been the practice that the pastor himself would simply imbibe the remainder in the chancel. That is done, and it's a perfectly correct way to dispose of the elements. Or the remains in the chalice may be poured out on the ground. Should not be poured down through the plumbing system of the building. Some churches, advisedly in sacristies, have a separate drain that goes directly down to the ground beneath the foundation of the building. And I believe the title for that little receptible is the piscina, if I'm not mistaken. That would be all right. But many churches do not have that accessory. So you might instruct your people to take the remains of wine and the chalice outside and pour them gently on the ground and dispose of the remaining elements in that fashion. Backing up just a little bit, we should make a comment about the distribution as the people come forward to receive the Lord's Supper. Historically, until recent times, the pastor took the host and placed it on the tongue of the recipient, of the communicant. This was a good practice for this reason: It left intact the notion that the body of Christ is His gift to the communicant very personally and directly. An alternate manner of distribution and receiving has developed. And the practice is rather widespread where the pastor takes the host and places it in the hand of the communicant. And then the communicant then takes the host and places it in his or her mouth and receives in that manner. That mode somewhat breaks down a bit the notion that the Lord's Supper is Christ's gift and pure gift to us. And it kind of interjects something, some action from the communicant in the whole matter, which, again, somewhat distracts from the notion of Christ's body and blood as gift. These are matters, though, that you'll want to discuss with your people and arrive at your practice and give them an appropriate guidance. Let's move on to another question that you had, Joshua, about taking the consecrated elements from the altar in the church to home-bound persons. Let's say an elder in the congregation is assigned to take those consecrated elements on Sunday afternoon to a home-bound person in a rest home somewhere in the community later on in the afternoon. There is a governing principle in -- that should norm this practice. And maybe alter it somewhat. And principle holds the distribution should never be separated from the consecration. And that principle arises right out of Formula of Concord 7 around paragraph 75 to 80, 83. And that would be your reference on this. Remember we're operating with principles undergirding practice. So it would seem that the Formula of Concord is encouraging us to go to home-bound persons when we bring private communion to hold a little mini service with those folks during which the pastor consecrates and in the same moment distributes and keeps consecration and distribution together. That would be the most -- the practice most consistent with our Lutheran principle. We're aware that there's a lot of diversity in this area. I want to suggest that, when we really look at our situation in our churches, most pastors in most congregations can do this ministry themselves. And the home-bound persons like to have the pastor visit. They really do. Not that they don't welcome elders and other persons. But for the Lord's Supper our experience has been that they want the pastor to minister to them as he does for the corporate congregation in the larger fellowship. And, if a pastor is organized, I want to suggest that he can probably commune as many as 30 shut-ins in the course of a month, if he's well-organized and has them scheduled. It takes some effort. But it's -- it's worthwhile. Now, a closing word about that little service that we have for the home-bound persons. The pastor can bring some accessories. Some pastors have a small stole that they bring with them and place around their shoulder, the symbol of the office of the pastor. And then we can set up the altar, nice white linen or white napkin, place the small communion glass or chalice together with the host. Conduct a little service from the invocation to the confession of sins, speaking the Apostle's Creed, then the words of institution, the Lord's Prayer, and the distribution and a closing prayer and benediction. The exact order here we have in other printed materials that we could suggest, but it goes something like that. Then the communicant has the experience of the communion service and receives the body and blood of the Lord within that context and that setting. Joshua, there is one detail that we would address relative to the distribution of communion. And that is the mode, whether it be the chalice or the individual glasses. The chalice, the common cup, symbolizes our oneness and unity as God's people coming for the blessings of the sacrament. It emphasizes that horizontal relationship with each other receiving the one blessing from Christ as He gives us His precious blood. The individual glasses, the origin of that custom I do not know. But it's very widespread practice in our churches. There's no rule or law here. But we want to appreciate the common cup, as we said before. But, without legislating the practice, say about the individual glasses, some congregations are more comfortable with that mode of distribution. Where we have opportunity to use both in the same communion service, that has resolved this matter somewhat at least for some congregations where the officient moves with the glasses, the individual glasses. And those communicants at the table who wish to partake that way do so. And another officient follows with the chalice and communes those who prefer to receive by that mode. Perhaps this is something of a compromise. It seems to satisfy numerous concerns in certain settings and certain congregations. And, where it is practiced where both modes are engaged, the comfort level of people seems to be met. And that might be a suggestion. *** This text is being provided in a rough draft format. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings. ***