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In this episode, Brett, Brian, and Jason continue their examination of the doctrine of Holy Communion by looking at Article X of the Augsburg Confession and Apology.
Being Lutheran Podcast Episode #201 – Augsburg Confession, Article X, Part 2.
I appreciated the remarks about feeling worthy enough to receive Communion. That’s a part of my history as well and people in the congregation I serve have also struggled with that idea. I’ve added this snippet from the Large Catechism to our Communion liturgy before I begin the exhortation:
“If you are burdened and feel your weakness, go joyfully to the sacrament and let yourself be refreshed, comforted, and strengthened. For if you wait until you are rid of your burden in order to come to the sacrament purely and worthily, you will have to stay away from it forever. In such a case he pronounces the verdict, ‘If you are pure and upright, you have no need of Me and I also have no need of you.’ Therefore the only ones who are unworthy are those who do not feel their burdens nor admit to being sinners” (LC, The Sacrament of the Altar, lines 72-74).
That is an excellent addition to the exhortation, and I’m probably going to need to find a way to steal that and make use of it at Faith.
Jon’s post is so great. In our Presbyterian tradition we “fence” the Table and some times our pastors are too enthusiastic about it and go way too. So, some of our members struggle with whether they would be partaking in an “unworthy manner”. (I Cor. 11:27) I appreciate Jon’s post.In fact, the enthusiastic fencing can get so bad that mature Christians end up struggling.
One time I was pulled out of the worship service by the wife of the pastor of the Church in which I served as an elder. She told me she was struggling with whether she should take communion that day because she had hard feelings about another elder who was being pretty aggressive with our pastor about some theological issues. I asked her if she believed she had the right to be mad at the elder. She said “no”. I asked her if she believed she was strong enough spiritually to not be angry with that elder. She said “no”. I told her it sounded to me like she needed a spiritual meal, to gain spiritual strength, to fight that spiritual battle. She smiled and thank me.
Fast forward to the end of the service. I serve the bread to her. She pulls off the normal evangelical small amount that literally melts as soon as it hits the tongue. I leaned over and said to her “you are hungrier than that.” She smiled and took a bigger piece that was more appropriate.
Jon, thank you for the post and, Jason, keep up the good work on this podcast.