Encore Post: As the congregation sings the beautiful Agnus Dei, the pastor likely takes his place at the rail or near the altar to welcome up members of the congregation to participate in the foretaste of the feast to come. But before that, it is customary for the pastor and his assistants (if he has any), to receive the body and blood of our Lord before distributing to the congregation. There is some debate whether or not the pastor can “commune” himself or if an elder of the congregation should “commune” him. Generally, this is best left up to each individual congregation. In these days of Covid-19, you might actually see the pastor wait until the very end of the distribution to commune since he might be wearing a mask, etc.
In some congregations there is a communion rail where congregation members kneel to receive the body and blood of their Lord. In others members come forward and stand in a semi-circle “table”. In others you might see a more continuous flow of people and less of a “table” experience.
However, the church “does” distribution, the pastor is given the direction (rubric) to speak very specific words concerning the body and blood. Likely, some pastors conflate the two and maybe say a bit more. LSB recommends two options: “Take, eat, this the true body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, given into death for your sins.” “Take, drink, this is the true blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, shed for the forgiveness of your sins.”
There also has been debate from time to time about how one should receive the Body of the Lord. Should one hold out their hand, and take the host to their own mouth? Should the recipient allow the pastor to place the Body of Christ into their mouth? Both are fine ways to receive the Body of Christ. Some early church fathers actually wrote rather long theological treatises on the ways in which one is preferred over the other. Some said that it was better for the pastor or priest to place the Host on the tongue as this was the best picture of pure reception. For the other side, it was argued your hands became the throne on which the Lord Jesus sat and so they offered directions on how to make your hands ready to receive such a gift.
The same can be said concerning receiving the Blood of Christ. In today’s age many people utilize the individual cup rather than taking a drink from the common cup. However, the reasons for using individual cups seem to far less theologically based. Some churches actually have a chalice in which there is a spout to allow for a person to receive into an individual cup the blood from the “common” cup.
However, one receives the Body and Blood of the Lord, may it be done in all reverence, acknowledging the fact that the Lamb of God, Who Comes to Save, is what we receive in the bread and wine given to us by the Pastor at the Distribution.
Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana
©2020 Jacob Hercamp. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy, share and display freely for non-commercial purposes. Direct all other rights and permissions inquiries to cosmithb@gmail.com
thank you Rev. Hercamp
You are quite welcome! Thanks for reading the posts here at the blog! The Lord be with you and give you His peace!
I would like to begin a study of the liturgy with my Bible study friends. Is this a publication I can purchase? Or, how can I get the whole set?
Not actually. But you are very welcome to download them and use them. You can find all of them but the Gloria post at: https://whatdoesthismean.blog/blog-post-series/
Perfect. Thank you!
Thank you Pastor, please comment on CLose communion so others may realize what that means.
Hi Gerrye, Thanks for reading the blog post. Honestly I am not so much of a fan of the term “Close” Communion. I prefer the historic term “Closed.” But to answer your question: Close Communion is like Closed Communion in that while we cannot know what a person believes in their heart, we hear what they confess with their mouth concerning the bread being the body of Christ and the wine being the blood of Christ, and having heard that confession we are in communion with them. Fellowship can only really occur within the public confession. Typically, this means confessing the same as what the church body believes, teaches, and confesses. I hope that helps.
Why this has become the term instead of “Closed” to describe participation in the Supper is a bit a question for me. I don’t see any difference honestly. We can’t see the heart of anyone else, we can only hear the confession of their mouths, and that is what we have to take as their confession. I hope this helps. If not, I am sorry, and I would love to try again later to answer your question.