Why does Pastor commune himself first?

Encore Post: That’s a great question.  As a young boy in Kansas and Missouri, my pastors would commune last by the hand of an elder or assistant.  The first time I saw a pastor commune himself before serving the assistants, I was shocked.  Since I was even more quiet and reserved in those days, I waited until the handshake line to ask why.

Pastor was always kind and offered this explanation.  “The pastor serves in the stead and by the command of Christ Jesus and is a sinner in need of forgiveness, just like the people he serves.  When he hears the confession and absolution, he both delivers and receives those words.  The pastor preaches to edify the people of which he is one.  Similarly, pastor serves the body and blood of Christ under bread and wine to the people for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.  It follows that he also receives this blessing from the hand of the pastor.” This restored practice replaces the innovation of pastor refraining until after someone else communes.

Having heard that, I was quickly convinced.

Digging deeper later on, I found that Dr. Luther, Dr. Chemnitz, and C. F. W. Walther (fathers of the Lutheran church) all instructed pastors to commune themselves first, and then the assistants, followed by the congregation. It is further supported by our rubrics in the Lutheran Service Book pew edition which clearly instruct the pastor and assistants to commune first. (LSB p. 164, 181, 199, 210, and 217)

Similarly, the practices of purifying the people of Israel in the wilderness on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, were also ordered this way.  Aaron, the high priest offered a sacrifice first for himself and his household.  Then, he sacrificed for the holy place and the Levites.  Then, the Levites would purify the people. We should not be confused about whose work these sacrifices were. Hebrews chapter 10 and 11 disabuse us of any notion that the work of the priests and/or the people earned them anything. Faith in the promises of God deliver the gifts of God to the people of God.

This by no means an indication that the pastor has a special character in himself, or that the mass is a sacrifice. Rather, his office is the one that serves. And, the Lord delivers Himself in, with, and under the elements. The assistants, even when they are ordained men, receive from the celebrant just as he does. Then, they bring the body and blood of Jesus to you in their own freshly forgiven hands.  Each person receives immediately in order of proximity to the Lord’s work attaching His promised gifts to the Body and Blood, bread and wine, forgiveness from the Lord, until all have communed.

May we all confidently receive God’s loving gifts: the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.

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Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

©2020 Jason Kaspar. 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.

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11 thoughts on “Why does Pastor commune himself first?”

  1. what I found is odd is that our pastor would give himself communion when he had ordained assistant pastors who could administer it to him.

    1. Thanks for the comment, Sharron.

      I would prob’ly approach it the same way. Pastors will often assign duties for Sunday morning among themselves like this. The liturgist conducts the service from invocation through the conclusion of the prayer of the church. The Preacher preaches. The celebrant conducts the communion liturgy. Each of these men is “pastor” to the whole congregation in their section. The celebrant is still pastor of the sacrament. As celebrant, I would still commune myself first for the same reasons as I would without additional pastoral assistants.

      Now, it’s unlikely that I’ll find myself in this position anytime in the foreseeable future.

    2. So if that case why in most churches pastor commune last? Any ordained men can commune the pastor?

      1. Neville,

        I’m not sure how accurate it is to say “most churches” anymore. That was certainly the case twenty years ago. There may still be a plurality practicing that way. But, the practice is fading out. More and more men are coming around to the practices that preceded the mid-twentieth century commons.

        Yes, any pastor can certainly other ordained men can commune the pastor. But, it’s most suitable to sit in our rolls as we find ourselves. The celebrant is pastor to everyone present. He ought to commune himself and follow by communing the others.

  2. My practice was to communicate myself last. Perhaps it has something to do with my upbringing. 😉

    1. Possibly so. That innovation has been very common through the 20th and into the 21st centuries.

  3. I am nearing retirement and have always communed last with my wife and don’t see myself changing that practice. My associate communes himself first. I think that is fine too. Jesus gave the elements to the disciples.

    1. I’m a month and a half out from retirement. Since as seminary staff, I’m a utility infielder and almost always have a fieldworker or vicar in tow, I go with the flow.

    2. Thomas,

      Thank you for a lifetime of faithful service.

      I like the comparison to Jesus’s institution here. That’s one by whose command and in whose stead we serve. He served the Disciples. But, they did not serve Him.

      It still brings me back around to who is serving whom. The celebrant is functioning in the stead and by the command of Christ. Should he not receive from the celebrant just as everyone else does?

  4. I love this article. I think it is very well noted that the act of the pastor communing himself first should not be understood as himself making/offering up a sacrifice; rather, he is simply partaking in the Lord’s precious body and blood as the pastor and, similarly, just as Jesus is our ultimate pastor or Priest.

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