 There has been much debate about and ink spilled and sometimes blood spilled over what the Eucharist really is about. Whether we call it the eucharist, holy communion, the Lord’s supper it is all the same thing, but how we interpret it, perform the ritual for it, and what it means have often been widely divisive. For instance, what happens when the words of institution are spoken? Do the elements, the bread and the wine, become real flesh and blood? Do they somehow contain the flesh and blood of Jesus but remain bread and wine? Is there no change at all and the meal is simply a reminder or memorial? Differences here have led to splits in both beliefs and practices. In case you were wondering, in the Lutheran church we talk about “Real Presence” that when the words are spoken Christ is present “through, with, and under” the elements, that his flesh and blood are present, but the bread and wine don’t literally turn into flesh and blood. While you may think the idea of them literally turning into flesh and blood is silly, early Christians were sometimes accused of cannibalism because of the eucharist and how it was described. On the other side some countered that if Jesus is God, and God is everywhere, what makes communion any more special than any other meal? Luther responding to Zwingli (a contemporary theologian in his time) on the real presence of Jesus Christ in the sacrament, writes that “God is as present in your cabbage soup as in the sacrament. The difference is that God is hidden in the soup and revealed in the sacrament.” (retrieved from: https://www.elca.org/JLE/Articles/42) If you recall from before, sacraments consist of an earthly element, a promise from God, and a command to use them. So God and God’s promises get revealed to us in the bread and wine when the words of institution are spoken. This is what makes it special and set apart from every other meal, it is the promise that God promises to be revealed in it. It has nothing to do with our ability to approach the sacred without sin, it has nothing to do with only reserving it for special times, it has nothing to do with the quality of the bread or the wine, it has nothing to do with the quality of the one presiding over the ritual. In the past there has been much to do made about how one can approach in a worthy manner. Some churches required confession beforehand, even individual confession. Some churches required a talk with the pastor, to ensure that a person believed the right things and could testify to the right faith. There are some denominations that still require these checks. There has also been a new discussion on whether one needs to be baptized first or should the eucharist be offered freely as a “radical welcome”, which is a topic for discussion and dialog, not great material for newsletters. The check on worthiness that has been shared with me, and I find the most helpful is not one’s interpretation of the event, nor one’s ability to recite the orthodox perspective of a certain denomination, but rather belief in two particular words of the ritual: “For you”. The power of the eucharist and the measure of our worthiness to receive it hinges on those two words. That the action and efficacy is not from us, but it is from God, and we have not made ourselves worthy to receive it, but it is God who deemed us worthy, while we were still sinners. This is what makes communion the embodiment of grace for us. This is why we need it as often as we can get it, because the world and the devil tells us every day, we don’t deserve it and we aren’t worthy of it. In the eucharist God says, “Here is my grace, given freely, FOR YOU.” Godspeed, Pastor Jarrod Image retrieved 9/13/2017: By John Snyder (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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The Sunday following the shooting of 9 black church goers in Charleston, S.C., was hard for me to get through. I am not sure which emotions that were running through me were throwing me off the most; the sadness for the families of these people who had just lost loved ones in senseless violence, the disappointment that there is still so much racial tension in my country, the anger that someone would do such a thing, the violation that a Bible study in a church was desecrated, the resignation that this was not the first and probably not the last we'll see of this sort of thing, or a myriad of other thoughts and emotions that were rolling inside me. I was able to hold it enough at bay to function, but not far enough to be numb. I didn't want to be numb to it, and I still don't. I posted the sermon I preached that morning without even listening to it first, just unedited and raw.
What got me through the service was our liturgy, that's the church-y word for the form of our worship service. (It has roots in laos - the people (also laity) and ergos - works, so worship is the work of the people.) This congregation still uses the green Lutheran Book of Worship (aka LBW), which I grew up using. I have used these same words over a thousand times in my life, but on this recent Father's day they spoke to me in ways I needed to hear. The opening of our communion setting is a call and response between a minister and the congregation it goes as follows: In peace let us pray to the Lord Lord have mercy For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord Lord have mercy For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord Lord have mercy For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord Lord have mercy Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord Amen I was having trouble finding words, and here we were with words of prayer for peace. Week after week we acknowledge our need for God's intervention in our lives, for peace, for our well-being, with these words and it really hit home for me that Sunday. I almost choked as I chanted out the last line, "Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord." because I, like many others, was reeling from this horrific event that happened in a sanctuary. Where was their defense? Why weren't they saved from this? Where is the comfort for their families? Where is the peace? I realize any attempt I make to answer any of those questions will simply appear trite or defensive. So I won't even try, I will only point you to the answers of the families. The answer the families of the victims gave speak the truth in the face of insecurity, hatred, and violence. They forgave the murderer of their loved ones, and prayed he may receive God's mercy. That is where God is in the midst of all these terrible and tragic things we do to one another. So we will continue to speak these words, or words like them. They are the work of the people, and there is much work to be done as we wait for the kingdom of God, where we won't have to pray in hope of these things, but have them for all people. Until then, we will continue to speak up, stand up, and do this work. The work that has been God's mission for his church in all ages, and continues in our traditions today. For peace. Lord have mercy. |
AuthorPastor Jarrod Schaaf has been ordained as a minister in the ELCA and was the past Pastor at St. Paul in North Robinson. Archives
August 2022
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