The Real Presence of Christ

VI. The Sacrament of the Altar
As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household.

What is the Sacrament of the Altar?

It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, for us Christians to eat and to drink, instituted by Christ Himself.

Where is this written?

The holy Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and St. Paul, write thus:

Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread: and when He had given thanks, He brake it, and gave it to His disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.

After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Take, drink ye all of it. This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the remission of sins. This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.

What is the benefit of such eating and drinking?

That is shown us in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins; namely, that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things?

It is not the eating and drinking, indeed, that does them, but the words which stand here, namely: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins. Which words are, beside the bodily eating and drinking, as the chief thing in the Sacrament; and he that believes these words has what they say and express, namely, the forgiveness of sins.

Who, then, receives such Sacrament worthily?

Fasting and bodily preparation is, indeed, a fine outward training; but he is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins.

But he that does not believe these words, or doubts, is unworthy and unfit; for the words For you require altogether believing hearts.

http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php

 

A few weeks ago my granddaughter asked me about the "script" I use at the tiny country church I serve at. I told her I don't use a "script" there as we don't have room on the altar for the altar book and we don't have a book with all the services for the altar. I told her that I know the words and I don't need one. She laughed saying that one of these days I'm going to forget them and then I'll be in trouble. Well, it happened, almost...

 

This past Sunday the church was packed with members and visitors. It was very warm and the doors to the church were wide open so that the very slight breeze could enter. As I lifted the cup, I noticed a woman sitting on the very steep concrete steps outside the church door. Not sure why she was sitting there, a wave of concern for her health flooded me. I totally forgot the words of institution as I watched her for a moment, long enough to see that she was okay and was getting up and coming in to receive the Lord's body and blood into herself. Halfway through the words of institution, I had to grasp to find the right words. They came back to me quickly. I learned them years ago as a teen-ager in confirmation class. Some things one never forgets. 

 

The body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ is given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. As we receive this Sacrament, we believe that Jesus is present in with and under the elements of bread and wine. We truly receive his body and blood. In this Sacrament we receive the living presence of Jesus Christ into ourselves. He abides in us. Do not neglect to receive this precious life-giving gift. 

 

St. Paul reminds us in 1 Cor 11:29-30: "For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep."  This has a two-fold meaning. First, we ought to recognize that what we are receiving is the body of Christ. This is not just a memorial. He is truly present in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. We remember his death; the sacrifice of his body and blood for us. Yet, he is not dead. He lives. He is risen! He is ascended! He is present! Secondly, everyone at the table with you is a member of the body of Christ. It seems that some of the Corinthians had a habit of not thinking about their brothers and sisters in Christ and did not wait for them to partake of the meal. They went ahead, without them, concerned only for themselves. Do not neglect to recognize the sacrifice of our Lord or the living body of Christ in the Sacrament and do not neglect to recognize the living body of Christ that would kneel at the altar with you. 

 

May God imprint the promise heard in the words of institution upon your heart and mind that you might fully grasp what he has done for you. And... may the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you and keep you in His grace.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

 

P.S. I pray that I have not edited this so much that it has become incomprehensible.

Romans 8:18-30 Praying In and With Creation

Romans 8:18-30 NIV


Wolf Point, Keweenaw Peninsula, MI

Years ago, I took a three month sabbatical on Lake Superior. I paddled about 1/3 of the southern shoreline, sleeping in a tent on sometimes some pretty rocky and isolated shorelines. It was very cold and rainy that summer. The ice did not leave the lake until a week or so before I left. There were times when I did not leave the tent much due to the weather. The theme for this sabbatical was "Praying with Creation" from these verses in Romans 8. During the evenings (and when it was storming), I read and studied the life of Bishop Frederic Baraga, an early Roman Catholic missionary to the region. While out on the water, alone, I spent a whole lot of time praying within the context of God's beautiful creation. I prayed the Small Catechism - many times! I prayed for the people who lived in the homes I paddled by. I prayed for the members of my congregations; as well as my family and other friends. I prayed for God's creation; that as stewards of the God's creation, we might begin to do a better job of caring for it. The Spirit groaned within me when I knew not what or how to pray. And, it was indeed in those moments that I was reminded that God is still in charge and He has a plan - a plan that is for the good of all who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

A very strange dream woke me the other morning. The sky was dark. It was filled with falling satellites. Satellites used to provide us with television, telephones, internet, radar, gps, etc., etc., literally blackened the sky and they were falling; crashing to the earth, endangering everything on the planet, including humankind. It is not only the earth and all that is in and on it that humankind is using up for our own pleasure and convenience; but, even the skies...

I am well aware that many theologians would have us know that the creation in Romans 8 refers to fallen man, ourselves. There are those who refuse to see that the living things around us actually live. However, that said, I cannot read Romans without also being reminded that the whole creation that surrounds us is indeed groaning under the stress we have put it. It grieves me to know that we so unjudiciously use fossil fuels to the detriment of the land, sea, and skies. I wonder how wise it is to be filling our skies with satellites for our convenience? Our waste pollutes the whole creation.

I do not find it so unbelievable that the whole of creation is groaning for our redemption. Why would it not, in light of the fact that until fallen man is redeemed we can not fully comprehend what we have done and continue to do to God's whole creation? We will most probably continue to abuse and destroy it.

May God help us to be better stewards of His whole creation; not just for the sake of the creation around us, but for the sake of humankind.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Nahum 3 - Rejoicing Over Fallen Enemies

Nahum warns that Nineveh will fall for her endless cruelty. Her victims will clap their hands; rejoicing for the vengeance God takes upon her. (Nahum 3:19)

We are often told that we should not rejoice when our enemies fall. In fact, we should not. According to the Proverbs: "Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them." (Prov 24:17 NIV)However, when one is persecuted so fully as Nineveh had persecuted, the people, according to human nature, will rejoice! They will rejoice that they are finally free. They will give thanks to God for taking away the enemy that has threatened to destroy them.

We give thanks to God for through the blood of Jesus we are free. We are free from the bondage that sin, death and the evil one would keep us in. We are free to give thanks to God for all things, including our freedom through Christ. Let us not neglect to give Him thanks and praise for all things and at all times and in all places.

Rejoice not that your enemy has fallen at the hand of God. Rejoice that even as Christ has been lifted up; so, too, have you. Rejoice that you have been saved from those age old enemies (sin, death, and the devil) by the blood of Jesus the Christ that was shed for you.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Ezekiel 26 - Check the "Aha"; God is Watching You

Consider Tyre, they too laugh at Jerusalem, saying "Aha!" (Ezek 26:2 NIV) They are glad for Jerusalem's fall at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. They now have a little less competition. They think that because Jerusalem has fallen, they will now prosper even more. But, they will not be glad for long. God will send this same Nebuchadnezzar to ravage Tyre. They will no longer be the great city that they were.

Consider, again those whom you would laugh at and rejoice over when they fall because you might now have an advantage. Consider your boasting when you prevail over a friend or foe. Does God not hear? Will He come to their aid and take all that you thought you had won away?

God's Peace - Pr. J

Isaiah 14 - The Fallen Morning Star

Hate to disappoint you all this morning, but I need to hit the road to do a long distance hospital visit so don't have the time to research chapter 14 as well as I would like to. Maybe, you would like to?

Verses 12 through 15, in particular, leaves us with a question. Who, exactly, is this "morning star, son of the dawn" that has fallen from heaven?

"How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,to the depths of the pit." (NIV)

First choice is the king of Babylon is the fallen morning star, as in our previous chapter that is what is being prophecied. We need to take a look at these verses in context.

Second choice would be Satan. These would be some of the verses that some Christians traditionally use to support the concept of the fallen angel.

Third choice; although, not a good one... would be the one that some use to deny the deity of the Christ and that is that the morning star refers to Jesus the Christ. See 2 Peter 1:19, Rev 2: 28, and Rev 22:16. These all refer to the Messiah as the morning star. However, we need to remember that the evil one is quite capable of disguising himself as the angel of light. "And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." (2 Cor 11:14)

Overall, it is difficult for me not to see the fall of Satan in this reading, mainly because this is what has been engrained in me from early years. Satan, the anti-Christ's, desire is to be seated above the throne of God. On the other hand, this prophecy can be legitimately said to have been fulfilled with the fall of the last king of the Babylonian empire,  Belshazzar. (See Daniel 5 for his fall). I personally am thinking that this prophecy could well have two meaning - two fulfillments.

The good news here in this chapter is that God's ways will not be thwarted. He will have compassion and He will save His people and that His people (according to this prophecy is Israel) will be united in peace with foreigners (this I am reading as you and me - all who believe in salvation through Jesus the Christ).

Got to get moving! Have a blessed day!

God's Peace - Pr. J