[Note: This article appears in the February 2018 newsletter.]
An open letter to the gentleman who brought the Communion card out of the sanctuary after the service…
An open letter to the gentleman who brought the Communion card out of the sanctuary after the service…
…and
very brusquely told me that he and his wife would not be back, that our
Communion card says nothing about having to be a member of The Lutheran Church
– Missouri Synod (LCMS), and that he was of a non-Lutheran denomination. Sir,
you left our church agitated, without ever giving me the opportunity to
properly address your concerns; I was in the greeting line. Your comments to me
are case in point why confessional unity is so important. Though I hope you
will seek me out to see if we can find some common ground, I doubt I’ll see you
again. So for the benefit of any others who may not be fully aware of our
Communion practice and policy*, I will try to address your concerns here.
My
job as a pastor is to bring as many baptized souls to the Communion rail as
possible, not the other way around. LCMS pastors take a vow to uphold the
Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the practices of the LCMS. We,
as a congregation of the LCMS, practice “close” Communion. This is clearly
stated on the LCMS website. Things
may seem a little different with a new pastor, I understand, but your
denomination and ours have differing views on Communion—I wish we could have
sat and talked, but you left. I suggest you contact the pastor of your home
church and ask him or her to explain that church body’s Communion practice—and
ask about whether he or she believes that Christ is truly present in the
reception of the body and blood. Then find an LCMS pastor (I’m still available)
to chat with. You must follow your heart. It’s not possible to subscribe to two
confessions (you’d have to cheat on one somewhere along the way).
Sir,
I’m sad that you left in the state you did this morning. I will pray that God
will plant you in a place where you will feel comfortable and you will bloom. I
truly apologize for any discomfort I or our church may have caused you.
This final article in the series—this letter—serves to punctuate the importance
of confessional unity. It’s not enough to just “be” Lutheran, but to be aware
of what we confess, preach, and teach. Scripture is our sole norm and source
for all we say and do; as for the Sacraments, Christ said to do it (Baptism and
the Lord’s Supper), so we do it. There is nothing “Lutheran” about our three
Creeds, and our liturgy is based on the ancient church’s order of worship. We
are Christians first, saved by God’s Grace Alone through Faith Alone in Christ
Alone!
 |
| Pastor Aleksei with wife Ana (glasses) and a few members of St. Andrew Lutheran Parish in Simferopol, Russia |
A postscript: Speaking of confessional
unity, we officially became a “sister congregation” of St. Andrew Lutheran Parish
in Simferopol, Russia (see map), on January 7! St. Andrew is a congregation of the EvangelicalLutheran Church of Ingria in Russia (ELCIR), an LCMS partner church. We will
keep Pastor Aleksei Shepelev, whom I've known for 15 years, and his church family in our prayers each week and they will do likewise (they gather for worship at 2pm on Sunday, 5am Texas time). More information about them will be on a bulletin board in the
fellowship area soon!
Until March, may the Lord’s Peace be with
you all!
Pastor E.B.
*Zion Lutheran Church Communion Statement (printed each week in the worship bulletin): This Sacrament is intended for baptized, prepared Christians. Lutherans believe, teach, and confess that this Holy Supper was instituted by Christ Himself and that His body and blood are truly present in, with, and under the bread and wine and are received not only spiritually by faith, but also bodily, for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. Because those who eat and drink our Lord’s body and blood unworthily do so to their great harm (see 1 Corinthians 11:27-29), because we take seriously the spiritual care of those approaching our altar, and because Communion is a confession of what our church teaches and believes, we ask that those not yet instructed, in doubt, or belonging to another church body or denomination not in fellowship with The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod please remain seated during Communion. Please see the pastor after the service with any questions.
*Zion Lutheran Church Communion Statement (printed each week in the worship bulletin): This Sacrament is intended for baptized, prepared Christians. Lutherans believe, teach, and confess that this Holy Supper was instituted by Christ Himself and that His body and blood are truly present in, with, and under the bread and wine and are received not only spiritually by faith, but also bodily, for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. Because those who eat and drink our Lord’s body and blood unworthily do so to their great harm (see 1 Corinthians 11:27-29), because we take seriously the spiritual care of those approaching our altar, and because Communion is a confession of what our church teaches and believes, we ask that those not yet instructed, in doubt, or belonging to another church body or denomination not in fellowship with The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod please remain seated during Communion. Please see the pastor after the service with any questions.
