Full Text for The Communion as the Main Service (Text)

"Sin Is a Reproach to Any People" Proverbs 14,34 Our country may well apply to itself the warning contained in these seven words of sacred truth: "Sin is a reproach to any people." Must we not list as crushing liabilities our searing sins, the increased iniquities during the past? First among these is our growing lawlessness. The worst war in history has left us our worst crime wave, with robbery, burglary, manslaughter, murder, assault, larceny, more frequent than ever before. J. Edgar Hoover, Chief of the Fedtral Bureau of Investigation, reports that the total of American criminals "is ten times greater . . . than the number of students in our colleges and universities." If Scripture is cor- rect-we testify that it is-and only "righteousness exalteth a nation," how can we continue to expect divine guidance if, with all our preemi- nence, we have become the most crime-ridden of civilized nations; if newspapers, motion pictures, magazines, miscalled "comic," and some- times even crime broadcasts, help swell the ranks of old and young of- fenders? The time is here for real repentance and return to God in the only way men can draw near to the Almighty, through humble repentance and faith in the sin-atoning, sin-removing Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. I)r . Walter A. Maier Day by Day with Jesus," Brnst Kaufmann, Publlshcr No. 6 \ol. XXXIV, No. 6 AMERICAN LUTIIEKAN a Thc Communion -is The Rlain Service \!lit: Th11s is flze seconcl c l~npter of iiledriclz L o c l ~ ~ ~ c r ' s "Der Haz~p tgo t f e s - :ir:rsf" in tl-anslutiol~. Co~~znzents b y the ~-oi~slrrtor are in bvnckets. Tilere is an abundance and a delight- , : I diversity in the forms and orders ir the public worship of tlie Cl~urch i tlic true faith, forms and orders in ri:icll the life of faith and of the com- :i?~nion finds free expression. She has , i'oiiiir~r~?rlon Serv ice , in which the rite 2 tllr Lord's Supper follo\us upon the ,#,-eacliing of the Word, so that seal and lrnrst is added to the IVord. She has ; Prrtrckiqzg Service, that features niain- I! tlic explanation and application of tlie Scriptures or in which, on special occa- x;ons. a sermon is preached. She has a ('aicc.lris117. Serv ice , to establish and fur- ther the, kno~vledge of the chief parts ~ i i thc Christian teaching (catechetical sermon and examination in the Cate- i ) , And she has a Prayer and Prciisc Ser-vice in her Mati~is and Ves- pt'rs, the daily brief morning and eve- 1;i11g services, in which God's Word is ~iot only read but also explained niost iiricfly, in accordance wit11 Luther's ;rell-founded requirement. . Neverthe- 'ti<, prayer ancl praise is tlie prominent 1'1eliic11t in these last named services. Luther on Weekday Services [ In ;i footnote, Lochner brings a quo- : i t i o ~ l from Luther's "Ordering of Di- .Tatins ant1 \*csl)ers of that day are to Ile fountl.] The Communion the (:hief Service On the I)nsi:: oi .lets 2:12 and I Cor- intliinli.; 11, ;1nc1 iollo\ving the exam-le point. Consequently shc distinguishes bet\veen Main Service and 1Iinor Serv- ice. A service is regarded as the Chief Service not because of the significance of the Sunday or Feast Day, 170s because of the seas011 of the year, nor because of its liturgical richness. A service is the Main Service because, as tlie Scrip- tural relation of Word anrl Sacrament determines, the proclamation of the Word of the Gospel is follo\ved imme- diately by the rite of the Sacra~iient of Cllrist's Body and Blood, so that tliis rite, as tlie seal upon the \l\iord, is the goal and the keystone of tlie service. All other services in \vhich the rite of tlie Sacrament is not intended from the beginning, become Minor Services, no matter ho\v richly they may have been embellished liturgically in former days. Tn tlie era of the Reformation, and long after, tlie Morning Service that followed the Matin was regularly the Communion Service, tliat is the Main Sen-ice, a t least in larger congregations. One rea- son for tliis \vas the fact that Word and Sacrament belong to get he^?, Another reason was that in the Ancient C11u1.ch the L ~ I - d ' s Sunoer was I-eceivecl h v the A . entire congregation a t least every Sun- day, as in the days of Augustin, four huridred years after Chri-t. X third reason \vas the supposition that there would be a desire for the Sacrament. Over against the Roman Private J f a s ~ , in \\rhich only the officiating p1.ic.5t re- ceives the Sacrament, the !Zpology em- phasizes in the Eighth Article: "With us;,the people use the holy Sacranlent willinglp without constl-aint every Sun- day." Also in the T\velfth Article: "Every Sunday and ever!- fe;~.;t day Mass is celebratetl in our churches, ~vlien the Sacrament is adnlinistered to those who desire it, yet so. that they arc first examined and absoll-ed." There- fore it came about that ~ v h c n the Lord's Supper could not be at1ministe1-ed in such a service because coni~iiunicants were lacking. the endeacor was never- theless to retain the for111 of the >lain Service in all else. 111 sonlr places, 110\\7- evel-, a prcscribcd cshortation 1va5 rcncl after the sermon, or all extetn~)oraneou.; admonitioii tlclivered, in hich. \\.itllciut Page Nine A M E R I C A S L U T H E R A N I ( . g a l i . t i c I ) r c T a s u r c , t l i e I ; ~ c l c o f c o 1 1 1 - i \ p o s t o l i c I < l c , s : , i ~ t g o f T I ( : o r i n t l ~ i ; u i s f o l - 1 1 1 o f t l ~ c 5 ' I a i n S e r v i c e u p t o t 1 1 ~ . ( . ~ n u r ~ i c : ~ n t \ \ \ . ; i s c 1 e l ) l o r c d : u i t l t h e p e o p l e 1 3 : 1 3 , ; I I I ~ ~ t h c c o l l x - r e g a l i o n r c s j ) ( ~ n t l c t l I n o n . C l ~ o i i t h r s c r m o n f o l l o \ ~ e c i t : : : ~ t l n r o r ~ i . ; l ~ c : t l a n d c n c o u r ; i g e d t o c o m n i u n c " A n d w i t 1 1 t l i y s 1 ) i r i t . " T h e n : u n t i - L i t a n y 0 1 - t h e ' r e I ) c u ~ n , 0 1 - I ) o t l i i n t u n o i t c n . p l i o n a l l y , " U p \ v a r d t h e I ~ c : ~ r t ! " " L \ : c a s " c c 1 1 1 g r c ~ g : ~ t i o n a l p r a y e r " a n d " c c ~ . . h a v e l i f t e d i t 1 1 l ) t o t h e J , o r t l . " " L c t u s x - r r g : . ; ~ t i o n : ~ l t h : l ~ i k s g i \ . i n g . " O r t h c r ( , \ ! : S t ' O n t h e h c i e n t g i v e t h a n k s u n t o ~ ! I C 1 , o r t l . " " I t i h m e e t n ~ c r c l y ; I 1 1 y 1 n n o f p r ; l i s e b y t h e c o r l g r r - N o t c 1 . i \ > i s ~ v c l l k n o w n . t h c o l d e s t a n d r i g l i t . " " I t i : , t r u l y ~ n c e t ; u n t l r i g h t g a t i o n , i l l c o n n e c t i o n \ \ i t 1 1 ; u l t I i i ~ i r i i - t l r s c r i p t i o ~ l ( i i t h e C o 1 1 1 1 1 1 u n i o n S e r v i c e t o P I - a i s c T 1 1 c . c l t i g l i a l ) o v c ; L I I , t l i c t r u e t l r ~ c e t l b y a " C h r i . q t i 3 ~ 1 1 n ~ o t c f t e " 11i t l , i r i t h e ~ ~ o . ~ t - A p o . ~ t o l i c p e r i o t l i s b y J u s t i n l i v i n g ( ; o t l . " e t c . ' l ' h i s r : ~ t h c r l e ~ i g t l i ~ c h o i r , I ) o t I 1 . ; I . ; i t \ \ . c . r c , t h c I ) c o j i r ; ; : i ; : . t h e l \ l I a r t y r , \ \ . h o d i c d 1 6 6 . " O n t h e y e t s u b l i ~ n e p r a y e l - o l t 1 i : u i l i s g i v i n g f o r t h e W o r d o f ( ; o t l t 1 1 : l t I I : I I I 1 , : , ' , 1 c l a y c a l l c c l S u n d a y a n a s s e l n b l a g e i s c l o s e s w i t h t l i e S a n c t u s s ~ ~ ~ l g b y t h e h e a r d . B u t t h e B r n u n s r - I i \ v c i g - I , 1 1 ~ 1 i ~ r n a d e o f a l l \ v h o l i v e i n t o w 1 1 o r c o u n t r ) ~ e n t i r e c o n g r e g a t i o n , " H o l y , I f u l y , H o l y , h u r g i s c h c K i r c h e n o r t l n ~ r n g ~ ~ r c s c r i i t c . . i n t o o n e p l a c e , a n d t h e r n e ~ n o i r s o f t h e i s G o d , t h e L o r d o f t h e a n g e l s , l r c n v e n " A f t e r t h c s e r m o n s h a l l h e s u n g i!tt A p o s t l e s o r t h e S c r i p t u r e s o f t h e P I - o p h - a n d e a r t h a r e f u l l o f T h y g l o r y . " T h e n P r e f a c e ; S a n c t u s ; G c r r n ; ~ ~ ~ I ' a t c r X i ' e t s a r e r e a d a s l o n g a s t h e r e i s o p p o r - f o l l o w s t h e C o ~ ~ s c c r a t i o n ; a n o t h e r 9 - 2 1 1 - t e r ; C h r - i s t , T h o u 1 , a m b o i ( ; o t l : a ( ; r : . - t u n i t y . T h e n w h e 1 7 t h e r e a d e r h a s e r a 1 p r a y e r w i t 1 1 s p e c i a l i n t c r c c s s i o n s , n i a n c o l l e c t l o r S u n d a y s : ; u ~ t l t i l e l i : ~ . ; ; c e a s e d , t h e P r e s i d e n t s p e a k s a n d t n a k e s s p o l t e l l b y t h e b i < l i o p ; t h c P e a c e ; a n d b l e s s i n g . " a d m o n i t i o n a n d e x h o r t a t i o n t o t h e i l n i - t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n . l l ~ c l a s t , \ \ ; i t 1 1 t h e c l o s e , t a t i o n o f t 1 7 r q r e x c e l l e n t t h i n g s . T h e n i s d e s c r i b e d : A n d a f t e r a l l h a v e r e - + w e r i s e t o g e t h e r , a n d s e n d u p p r a y e r s . s p o n d e d " A m e n " ( t o t h e P e a c e ) , t h e A n d w h e n w e h a v e c e a s c d f r o r n p r a y e r , d e a c o n s a y s , " L e t u s t a k e h e e d ! " a n d b r e a d i s h r o u g h t a n d w i n e a n d w a t e r , t h e l ~ i s h o p s p e a k s t o t h e p e o p l e : . " H o l p [ - T i g l i l i g h t s oT A L P 1x1 a n d t h e P r e s i d e n t s e n d s u p p r a y c r s s i m - t h i n g s u n t o t h e h o l y ! " a n d t h e y r e s p o n c l , M e e t i l ~ g i l a r l y a n d t h a n k s g i v i n g s , t o t h e b e s t o f " 0 1 1 e i s H o l y , O n e i s t h e L o r d , O n e T h e t i l l . I ~ r 1 2 1 1 . t l o i , , i - , h i s j : o ~ : r r , a n d t h e p e o p l e a p p r o v e b y J e s u s C h r i s t t o t h e g l o r y o f G o d t h e , p c t o , - s , p r e s i d e d o v e d b y l ' r e s i t l e l l t j ' , 1 s a y i n g A m e n ; a n t 1 t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n a n d F a t h e r , b l e s s e t l f o r e v e r . A m e n . G l o r y A . K a v a s c h , \ \ . a s o p e n e d \ \ ; i t 1 1 p r a ! r r im! p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f t i l e c o n s e c r a t e d t h i n g s t o G o d i n t h e h i g h e s t , a n d p e a c e o n P a s t o r A u g u s t B r u s t a t . I i s l n a d e t o e a c h , a n d t h e y a r e s e n t b y t h e e a r t h a n d g o o d w i l l t o w a r d i u e ~ l ; R o - M r . W d t c r A l l " , ( . : h a i l - l ~ l a t l o i D e a c o l l s J h a n d s t o t h o s e 1 1 o t p r e s e n t . s a n n a t o t h e S o n o f D a v i d , b l e s s e d i s I l e ' I 1 ' : ; - j i r e s s i v e r e p o r t 011 t h c a c t i v i t i e s o i 1 1 ; . T h e w e l l - t o - d o 2 n d t h e y w h o a r e w i l l i n g , w h o c o m e s i n t h e N a m e o f t h e L o r d ; C n m l l l i t t e e . H e i n d i c a t c t l ( I l a [ I , c , . , , , , g i v e , e a c h a s h e ~ l e a s e s , a n d t h e g a t l i - G o t 1 t h e L o r d a p p e a r e d a l s o u n t o u s , a p p e a l 1 e t t t . l - s w e r e g o i n g f o l - w a r t 1 t o p u t , . e r e d g i f t s a r e t h e n l a i d b e f o r e t h e P r e s - H o s a n n a i n t h e h i g h e s t ! " T h e n s l l a l l p e c t i v e m e m b e r s w h o s e n n m c s h n v c i t l e n t , \ v ] l o a i c l s t ] ? e w i d o w s a n d o r p h a n s t h e b i s h o p c o m m u n i c a t e h i m s e l f , a f t e r " p p l i e d b y l i L e m p h a s i z e d t h a t n o m i m c o , c r a p l ~ c t l o t - s t t ~ , . w i t h t h e m , a n d a l s o c a r e s f o r t h e s i c k t h i s t h e e l d e r s a n d t h e d e a c o n s a l l d . t y p e d l e t t e r s w e r e b r i l l g l l S e t l a l l t l t l l a t l i . o r n t h e r i v i s c a f f l i c t e d , f o r t h e p r i s o n e r s , s u b - d e a c o n s a n d t h e l e c t o r s a n d t h e c o m m i t t e e i s i n a u g u r a t i n g a I O I I ! : r a t , , s t r a n g e r s , i n s h o r t , a l l w h o a r e i n d i s - s i n g e r s a n d t h e a s c e t i c s ; a n d a m o n g t h e P r o g r a m . t r e s s . " a r d m e n t h e d e a c o n e s s e s , a l l d v i r g i n s E x e c u t i v e S e c r e t a r y , R e v . ' l ' I l v i : : ! h , a n d w i d O , Y S ; c l l i l d r e n , a l l d t h e n W i t t r o c k , o h s e r v e d t h a t t h e t r a c t . ; p u l ) l i : ' , : L a t e r D e v e l o p m e n t b y t h e B u r e a u a r e b e i n n w i d e l y a c c l a i ~ u ~ , . t h e p e o p l e , i n t h i s o r d e r , w i t h a m ' ? \ \ r e h e r e l v i t h r e p r o d u c e a q u o t e r r O l l l ;, l ( . t l , A t t i l e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e F o u r t h C e n - c a u t i o n , a n d w i t h o u t n o i s e . T h e r e c e i v e d f r o m a S o u t h c l - 1 1 C I ~ I I ~ C I I I , I ; I I I , . / t u r y , t h e i \ l n i n s e r v i c e i s d i v i d e d i n t o b i s l l o p s h a l l g i v e t h e s a c r i f i c e s a y i n g , a l l o t l l r r d e n o m i l l a t i o l l - " T r ~ l l ~ ~ , I I 1 c l i t ! " ~ h ~ ~ ~ d ~ o f c h r i s t , u a n d t h e y o u p e o p l e p u t o u t t h e m o s t a t t ~ - : l c t i v c t r n . ' . a M i , ; - a C a t e c h u m e n o r u m ( p r e a c h i n g I h a v e e v e r s e e n . P e o p l e j u c t ' g o l ~ h i c ' 1 1 . s e r v i c e ) a n d a 3 g i s s a F i d e l i u r n ( s p e - m u n i c a t e d s h a l l " A m e n " ; t h e t h e i r c o n t e n t s , T h e ) , a r c ~ p p r ; l l i l l c : 1 , . c i f i c a l l y t h e s e r v i c e o f f a i t h f u l , t h e d e a c o n s h a l l h o l d t h e C u p a n d , o f f e r i n g e y e ! w h i c h i s a n a d d c d i n c c ~ ~ t i \ . c t o t l l a ' s e r v i c e o f t h e L ~ ~ # ~ s u p p e r ) . f t ~ ~ i t , s h a l l s a y , " T h e B l o o d o f C h r i s t , t h e a p e r s o n w a n t t o r e a d t h c m . " I ' a s t o r \ ' ; I ' t h e s e r m o n , t h e d e a c o n a d d r e s s e d C U P o f L i f e , " a n d t h e c o r n m u n i c a t e t l t r o c ' c a ' s o p r e s e r i t e d h i s p l n n l t e d i t i t l c r a y ! - c o n n e c t i o n w i t h a t t e n d i n * S v t i o ( l i c a l C C I I I n o n - C h r i s t i a n s a n d c a t e c h u m e n s , " I t e , s h a l l " A n l e n . " T h i r t y - T h i r d . , , , t i o l l s d u r i n g t h e s u m $ e r & m o n t l l s i o r t l i i i l i s s a . e s t ! " " G o , y o u a r e d i s m i s s e d . " P s a l m s h a l l b e c h a n t e d w h i l e a l l o t h e r s p u r p o s e o f p r o ~ i i o t i n g t h e \ v ~ I . I ~ o f t i , l E s p e c i a l l y t h e > t i s s a F i d e l i u l n \ & i c h a r e c o m n i u n i c a t e d , a n d w h e n a l l i n e n B u r e a u . l l o M 7 b e g a n , s h o w s g r e a t e l - a m p l i f i c a t i o n a n d a l l w o m e n h a v e r e c e i v e d , t h e d e a - T h e S u l l d a ~ r S c h o o l W c c k a n t 1 t h e I ? r f r t r . . s o l e m n i t y o f t h e ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ i ~ ~ i t - c o n s s h a l l c a r r y w h a t r e m a i n s i n t o a d - " a t i o n r c l ' o r t c t ' I ) r o R 1 r " i n t h e i r r e s p c c t i v e f i e l d s o f p ~ . o ~ ~ i o t i o ~ i . u r g y t h a n t h e e x t r e m e l y s i m p l e r i t e p i c - j o i n i n g c h a m b e r s . A n d t h e d e a c o n s h a l l M r . J . F . E . N i c k e l s b u r g , B u s i n e s s l l a 1 1 - t u r e d b y S t . J u s t i n . A c c o r d i n g t o t h e S a ) ' a f t e r t h e s i n g e r s ] l a v e h l l i s l l e d , a g e , o f T H E A ~ ~ L R I C A N L ~ T I I B ~ , \ S ) I . , , , e i g h t h c h a p t e r o f t h e A p o s t o l i c C 0 1 1 - " H a v i n g p a r t a l c e l l t . 1 t h e p r e c i o u s B o d y A Z I N E , a n n o u ~ i c e d t h a t t h e p r i n t e r s o i t ; ~ s t i t u t i o n s , t h e M i s s a F i d e l i u l n b e g a n " d t h e p r e c i o u s B l o o d o f C h r i s t , l e t u s l n a n a z i l l e w o u l d i n c r e a s c t h e c o s t o i p r ~ \ v i t l l s i l e n t p r a y e r b y t l l o s e 1 v h o 1 - e - g i v e t h a n l t s u n t o H i m w h o h a , ; c o u n t e d d ~ ~ t i o n b y 1 0 % 011 S e 1 ) t e m b v r 1 s t . T I t B o a r d a u t h o r i z e d t h e s i g n i n g o i a ~ t c \ \ cui: n l a i n e d . T h e g e n e r a l a n d d e t a i l e d p r a y e r U S " o r t h y t o p a r t a k e o f H i s h o l y 1 1 1 Y s - t r a c t a t t h e i n c r e a s e d f i g u r e , l l c o f t h e C h u r c h w a t h e 1 1 s p o l t e n b y t h e t e r i e s , a n d l e t u s p r a y , " e t c . T h e T h a n k s - f i c l e n t e x p e c t a t i o n t h a t t h e e v c r \ y i t l c ~ i i l t n d e a c o n , t h e c o n g r e g a t i o n j o i n i n g g i v i n g , s p o k e n b y t h e b i s h o p , b r i n g s t h e i n t e r e s t i n t h e w o r k o f t h e B u r e a u a n t 1 i ~ i . t h e K y r i e E l e i s o n i n l i t a n y f a s h i o n . s e r v i c e t o a c l o s e . t z l l s i f i e d s u p p o r t o n t h e p a r t o i i t s 1 n e 1 1 1 i ) e r . w o u l c l i n s u r e t h e n e c e s s a r y i n c r e : ~ s c : i r e , ; - A f t e r a c o l l e c t b y t h e b i s h o p , t h e d e a c o n s e n u e t o m e e t t h i s r i s i n g c o s t o f ] ) I - o t l u c t i o ~ ~ . g a t h e r e d t h e o f f e r i n g o f b r e a d a n d w i n e T h e C o n ' n 1 u n i o n W i t h o u t . t h e E 1 o ' y I t w a s r e s o l v e t l t h a t t h e S e c r r t ; l r y c s t e l l ~ a n t 1 p r e p a r e d i t f o r u s e i n t h e L o r d ' s C o m m u n i o n t h e b e s t w i s h e s o f t h e B o a r d a n d ( ; o t l s l ~ ~ ~ ~ S u p p e r . T h e n t h e m e n e x c h a n g e d t h e N o t e . 2 . A l t h o u g h t h e B r a n d e n b u r g - t o P a s t o r A u g u s t F . B o b z i n , f o r l n c r ] ' r c k i - h o l y k i s s w i t h t h e m e n , a n d t h e w o m e n N u e r n b e r g e r K i r c h e n o r d n u n g o f 1 5 3 3 ~ ~ l ~ h ~ f i l ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ A ~ B ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - i ~ l . l ~ ~ ~ , ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ; ~ ~ ~ , w i t h t h e w o m e n . C l o t h e d i n a s p e c i a l a t t e m p t e d t o f a s h i o n a S u n d a y s e r v i c e h l i s s i o l l s . f v s t i v e v e s t m e n t , t h e b i s h o p a p p e a r e d a t w i t h o u t C o r n l n u ~ l i o n a i t c r t h e o r d e r f o r T h e r n e e t i l l g w a s a d j o u r n c t l \ ~ i t h r r , ! r t h e a l t ; t r , s u r r o u n d e d b y t h e m i n i s t e r s t l i e M i n o r S e r v i c e > , t h c c u . ; t o n l b e c a n l e L o r d ' s P r a y e r i n u n i s o n . o f t h e h i g l i c r o r d e r s . H e s p o k e t h e m o r e a n d m o r e g c n e l - a 1 t o r e t a i n t h e T h e o d o r e ( . - . l l o c l l c r . P a g e T e n 1 3