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The July 2005 Newsletter of
St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church
Edgar, Wisconsin
and
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Milan, Wisconsin
Click here for archived past editions
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, greetings in the name of loving God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Last month I wrote a bit about how the Missouri Synod (and consequently our two congregations) practice closed communion. I have been asked to follow up on this and talk about what it means in terms of what we do and why.
As members of the Missouri Synod, closed communion is the historic and orthodox practice of only communing those who are members in good standing of a Missouri Synod congregation or of a church in altar and pulpit fellowship with us.
Why restrict entrance to the Supper in this way? We do this, first of all, out of loving concern for those who partake of Christ's body and blood. Lutherans believe that Holy Communion is a very special gift from our Lord Jesus Christ. On the basis of Holy Scripture, we believe that Jesus Christ gives us his actual body and actual blood to eat and to drink, under the bread and wine, in this Sacrament. (See Mt 26:17ff; Mk 14:12ff; Lk 22:7ff; 1 Cor 11:23ff). The bread and wine are NOT merely symbols of Christ's body and blood. We take the Scriptures at face value which teach that the bread is the body of Christ and that the wine is the blood of Christ because Jesus said, "This is my body," and "This is my blood." We call this belief the doctrine of the Real Presence. We believe that when we receive the body and blood of Christ, under the bread and wine, God forgives our sins. This awareness causes us to be very careful in our celebration of the Sacrament. We know that those who do not discern the body of Christ in the Sacrament do so at their own risk. In other words, persons who are members of church bodies which do not confess the Real Presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper are better off not receiving it at our altar. In His Word, God says, "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" (1 Cor. 11:27).
But what if someone believes in the Real Presence, but is a member of a different Church body? Say, for example, that a member of a Baptist congregation believes Christ is truly present in the bread and wine and therefore wishes to commune at our altar. Even if he rightly discerns the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament... even if he agrees with and believes every Lutheran teaching in the Book of Concord, as long as he remains a member of a Church that promotes false teaching, we still cannot in good conscience invite him to commune at our altar.
Why is that? As theologian C.F.W. Walther said: "The Holy Supper is one of the marks, one of the banners of the church, one of the seals of the church's doctrine and faith (Rom. 4:11; 1 Cor. 10:21; Exod. 12:48). In whichever church one receives the Holy Supper, one is confessing that church and its doctrine. There cannot be a more inward, brotherly fellowship than that into which one enters with those in whose fellowship he receives the holy Supper...."
The Lord's Supper, you see, is not simply a personal, individual act. It is also a public act of confession. It testifies to our unity in the "teaching of the Apostles" (Acts 2:42). When you receive the Sacrament at a church's altar, you are giving public testimony that you agree with that church's doctrinal position. Holy Communion, in fact, is the highest expression of church fellowship. We believe that to agree about the Gospel is more than agreeing to some generalities concerning Jesus or the Bible. There is no such thing as a "generic" Christianity. When we commune together, we testify to our agreement in the Gospel and all the articles of the Christian Faith. Holy Communion then, in this sense, is a mark of confessing the Christian Faith. And it is for this reason, that we would not invite the right-believing Baptist to commune here at Bethlehem or St. John.
At times, though, this practice of closed communion can be very difficult to uphold. Let's say a daughter of the congregation who has joined an ELCA congregation comes home to visit Mom and Dad. She was raised here, confirmed here, and now wishes to receive communion here. Because the ELCA teaches false doctrine, and because she publicly confesses that false doctrine by virtue of her church membership, we cannot in good conscience invite her forward to the Supper.
When we decline to give Holy Communion to persons not of our church body, we are not doing so because we think they're "bad" people or because we question their salvation. We're simply recognizing that a person's church membership does mean something. To belong to a church means to confess what that church believes and confesses. A person must determine for oneself if what one's church teaches is what the Word of God teaches. We respect each person's individual decision in this matter, but we cannot in good conscience create the impression that differences between churches are meaningless.
Because the differences between churches concern the Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ, we know that the differences are important and do matter. This is why our churches practice closed communion, a feature of all orthodox Lutheran Churches since the first days of the Reformation and a practice which can be traced back to the very early years of the Christian church. We hope that our beliefs will be respected by those who differ with us. We certainly do not intend to offend anyone, nor do we wish to create ill-will and hurt feelings. Hopefully, this brief explanation will help you or someone else understand that our love for the Christ's Supper and our love for the individual are the motivations for our practice of closed communion.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Matthew
Life Quote
"Christians need to take the lead in educating people that children are gifts, as my autistic grandson most surely is. By going down the path we're currently on, we might one day get rid of genetic diseases, but only at the cost of our own humanity."
- Charles Colson
Chairman and Founder, Prison Fellowship Ministries
Every Sunday Sermon Preparation
To help prepare for Sunday morning worship. Here are the weekly readings for the 8:15am & 10:15am Sunday services in July:
July 3 -
Zechariah 9:9-12
Romans 7:14-25a
Matthew 11:25-30
July 10 -
Isaiah 55:10-13
Romans 8:12-17
Matthew 13:3-23
July 17 -
Isaiah 44:6-8
Romans 8:18-27
Matthew 13:24-43
July 24 -
Deuteronomy 7:6-9
Romans 8:28-39
Matthew 13:44-52
July 31 -
Isaiah 55:1-5
Romans 9:1-13
Matthew 14:13-21
Divine Worship Explained
A new feature of the newsletter. Starting this month, we will review the importance and significance of one part of the Church's liturgy each month. This month:
The INVOCATION
Following the opening hymn (really just a prelude to the beginning of the Divine Service), our liturgy begins with the Invocation. This calls upon (invokes) the name of our Triune God- Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. By this, we remember our baptism and the call to faith that God has given to us.
Also during the Invocation, from the earliest days of the Church, Christians have used this time to make the sign of the cross upon themselves. This practice continues today among the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholics, and Lutherans. When we make the sign of the cross upon ourselves, we remind ourselves that the Triune God has called us by baptism into the one true faith. We remind ourselves that we are marked as one redeemed by Christ the crucified.
By the Invocation, too, we call upon his power and presence to be with us in his Word and Sacraments and throughout our lives.
Bethlehem Lutheran Church Council Meeting Capsule
June 20, 2005 - 8:00 p.m.
- The meeting was called to order followed by a short devotion based on Isaiah 2: 1-2 & a prayer.
- An addition to the minutes was made stating the general fund shortage will be monitored and readdressed at the June meeting. If deemed necessary, a letter to members of the congregation may be sent out. Old Business discussed was the Evangelism Office. It will consist of 3 persons as per the by-laws. The Voter's Assembly will elect this office, with terms of 1year, 2 years, & 3 years. The election of this office will be brought to the Voter's assembly.
- A report on the last two Youth Group meetings was given. Committee involvement was discussed. There are three upcoming fundraisers. Funds received from these would be turned over to the Youth Group. They are 1) Jaycees 4th of July celebration @ the Wausau Fairgrounds 2) Wausau Fair 3) Steam show. The Board of Education will be asked to assist in finding volunteers for the three activities.
New Business:
- No Elder's report.
- The Treasurer stated a detailed report would be given at the July Council meeting regarding budget expectations and whether or not we are meeting them.
- The Trustees report stated spring-cleaning for the church has been completed with the exception of a couple items.
- The Finance Secretary reported that a total of $19,693.35 has been received in collections as of June 19th.
- No Board of Education report.
- The Building Committee stated a follow-up on the proposed building sites would occur in July.
- The next Coordinating Council meeting is June 21st @ St. John. The next Church Council meeting is set for July 18th - time to be announced. The Quarterly Voters' Meeting is July 24th.
Following adjournment, the meeting closed with the Lord's Prayer.
Gloria C.,
Acting Secretary
Synod News and Information
Each year LCMS World Mission receives requests for more volunteer missionary positions than there are people coming forward to fill them. Volunteer missionaries serve in many ways, from medical personnel to relationship-builders through teaching English. A main component of their service, no matter the position, is building relationships with local Christians as well as with the unchurched.
For more information, call an LCMS World Mission Placement counselor at 1-800-433-3954 or e-mail mission.recruitment@lcms.org
The Catechism Corner
The Sacrament of Holy Baptism
"What is Baptism? Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God's command and combined with God's word."
"Which is that word of God?
Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Matthew: 'go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.' (Matthew 28:19)"
Vacation Bible School
Looking for V.B.S. Fun? Sign up now for Vacation Bible School (a shared ministry of Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Milan) and St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church (Edgar)
Where? St. John (High Steeple) Lutheran Church
When? July 25 - July 29
9:00 a.m. - noon
Who? Ages 4 to 13 (oldest class: those who have just completed 8th grade)
Enroll now! Click this link to go to the V.B.S. page for enrollment instructions.
From the Book of Concord
What is the Book of Concord? A collection of the Lutheran confessions, containing:
• The three Ecumenical Creeds
• The Augsburg Confession and Apology
• The Large and Small Catechisms
• The Smalcald Articles
• Treatise on the Power & Primacy of the Pope
• The Formula of Concord
All LC-MS congregations have pledged themselves to believe, teach, and confess the truths of God's Word as they are summarized and confessed in the Book of Concord.
This Month's Reading: from Article III of the Formula of Concord (Solid Declaration): RIGHTEOUSNESS
This article concerning justification by faith is the chief article in the entire Christian doctrine, without which no poor conscience can have any firm consolation, or can truly know the riches of the grace of Christ, as Dr. Luther also has written: If this only article remains pure on the battlefield, the Christian Church also remains pure, and in goodly harmony and without any sects; but if it does not remain pure, it is not possible that any error or fanatical spirit can be resisted. And concerning this article especially Paul says that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Therefore, in this article he urges with so much zeal and earnestness the "particulas exclusivas," that is- the words whereby the works of men are excluded (namely, without Law, without works, by grace), in order to indicate how highly necessary it is that in this article, aside from the presentation of the pure doctrine, that all contrary dogmas, be stated separately, exposed, and rejected by this means.
Therefore, in order to explain this controversy in a Christian way by means of God's Word, and, by His grace, to settle it, our doctrine, faith, and confession are as follows:
Concerning the righteousness of faith before God we believe, teach, and confess unanimously, in accordance with the comprehensive summary of our faith and confession presented above, that poor sinful man is justified before God, that is, absolved and declared free and exempt from all his sins, and from the sentence of well-deserved condemnation, and adopted into sonship and heirship of eternal life, without any merit or worth of our own, also without any preceding, present, or any subsequent works, out of pure grace, because of the sole merit, complete obedience, bitter suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord Christ alone, whose obedience is reckoned to us for righteousness.
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