HOLY
COMMUNION — A GUIDE FOR VISITORS
Out of love for our Lord and respect for
what he has given us in Holy Communion, we follow Biblical guidelines
in
administering and receiving it. It is sometimes called the Lord’s
Supper
because it is exactly that: His, not ours. We want to be
careful
and responsible stewards of this special gift.
God’s Word
says this about communing:
The Lord Jesus,
on the
night he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he
broke it and
said, ”This is my body which is for you; do this in remembrance of me .
.
. This cup is the new covenant in my blood . .
.”
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an
unworthy
manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the
Lord.
A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks
of the
cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body
of the
Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
Is not the cup of
thanksgiving
for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ?
And is
not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?
Because
there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake
of the
one loaf. (1
Corinthians 10 and 11, NIV)
Shouldn’t
everyone go to Communion ?
There are
several Biblical reasons why a
person may not be in a position to receive Communion:
•
Not able to remember what Christ has
done — Jesus said that we ought to participate in remembrance of
him. Those who have not been instructed concerning Christ’s
redeeming work
would not be able to commune in remembrance of him. The very young
would
not be able to examine
themselves,
another Biblical requirement.
• Not believing that Christ’s body and
blood are
truly present — The Bible specifically warns us about not
recognizing what
we are receiving. Some churches deny this fact.
• Not repenting of sin — God counsels
us in his
Word to examine ourselves before we commune. We need to let the
unwavering
standards of his law expose our need for forgiveness.
• Not in agreement about God’s Word — The
Bible
teaches that Holy Communion is an expression of unity, not only with
our Savior
who instituted it but also among those who receive
it. Participation is
based on full agreement in all that the Bible teaches. That is what
binds us
“close” to our Savior and “close” to one another.
If you are
a communicant member of a
sister congregation of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS)
or the
Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS), we invite you to share Holy Communion
with us
based on our Biblical unity of doctrine and practice. An usher
will guide
you in registering.
If you are not a member of a sister congregation of the Wisconsin
Evangelical
Lutheran Synod (WELS) or the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS), we are
not able
to share Holy Communion with you at this time. This is not a
reflection
upon your personal faith. Since human beings can’t look into
hearts, we
can only react to denominational connections or the absence thereof.
Why haven’t
I heard of “Close Communion” before ?
Participating
in Holy Communion only with
churches whose beliefs are what you are convinced is Biblical is not
new. Christ gave Communion to his closest followers only, not to
the
general public. The early Christian church practiced close communion
and so
have most Christians until recent times. The Bible has not changed but
many
denominations have since chosen to ignore Biblical directives.
Won’t
people wonder why I don’t commune ?
Our church
understands that there are
valid reasons not to commune, especially if you are a visitor. The
Lord
has not forgotten you. The good news in his Word of forgiveness
for
sinners extends to everyone. Participation in Holy Communion is a
privilege that comes at the proper time. Please speak with our
pastor
after the service or during the week about your own situation and the
essentials for being one with us also in Holy Communion.
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