FAQs about Weekly Communion

Frequently Asked Questions about Weekly Communion

These FAQs are offered for consideration in our ongoing discussion regarding this matter. They are by no means exhaustive. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Pr. McDermott or one of the elders.

Q: Why would the church desire to have celebrate the Lord's Supper in the Divine
Service each Sunday?

A: Since in the Lord's Supper we receive our Lord Jesus' very body and blood for the forgiveness of sins it is a great gift to us and is central to the Divine Service. The holy Christian church throughout the ages has identified the Lord's Day (Sunday) with the Lord's Supper. As such the Lord's Supper was never viewed as an occasional extra or as somehow not as important as the other means of grace (Word, Absolution, Holy Baptism). In the Supper the Church, the Bride of Christ, sees herself clearly as the Body of Christ, being "one flesh" with Christ Jesus -- a great mystery indeed (Ephesians 5). The Supper is our Lord's last will and testament where we receive Him in all His life-giving mercy.

Also, since each day and each week we are in need of the Lord's forgiveness and strength, we are therefore in need of the Lord's Supper much in every way. Today, our increasingly less and less Christianly influenced culture threatens our faith daily, along with the help of Satan and our own sinful desires (old Adam). In the Christian Questions and Answers in the Small Catechism Luther writes the following, admonishing us to frequently receive the gift of Communion:

"What should admonish and incite a Christian to receive the sacrament frequently? In respect to God, both the command and the promise of Christ the Lord should move him, and in respect to himself, the trouble that lies heavy on him, on account of which such command, encouragement, and promise are given."

Q:  Is there a Scriptural basis for this?

A:  All of our discussion must begin with God’s Word.  When Jesus institutes the Lord‟s Supper, He gives the command “Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”  (1 Cor. 11:25)  Note that Jesus connects the Lord’s Supper to His remembrance: that is the proclamation of the Gospel.  

Also, we are given the example of the Church in Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the

apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers”.  We can also

conclude from verse 46, that this was not just weekly, but daily reception of the Lord’s Supper.  So while Scripture makes no rule that Christians must receive the Lord’s Supper every day or every week, we have the expectation that it is offered “often” and to be the norm when the Church gathers for worship.

Q:  What do the Lutheran Confessions have to say?
[In the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, we confess that the Lutheran Confessions as contained in
the Book of Concord are true because they are a true exposition of Holy Scripture.  It is for this reason
that we promise that all doctrine and practice is to be in accordance with the Lutheran Confessions.]

A:  In the introduction to the Small Catechism, Luther writes:  “For Christ did not say, ‘Leave this out, or, despise this,’ but, ‘Do this, as often as you drink it’ [1 Corinthians 11:25], and other such words. Truly, He wants it done, and not entirely neglected and despised. ‘Do this,’ He says.”

Also, in the Defense of the Augsburg Confession:  “At the outset, we must again make this preliminary statement: we do not abolish the Mass, but religiously keep and defend it. Masses are celebrated among us every Lord’s Day and on the other festivals. The Sacrament is offered to those who wish to use it, after they have been examined and absolved. And the usual public ceremonies are observed, the series of lessons, of prayers, vestments, and other such things.”

Q:  How, then, has it become the practice in America to have the Lord’s Supper once or
twice a month?

A:  The history behind infrequent reception of the Lord’s Supper has many origins.  The first is due to the fact that in pioneer days, congregations would have the Lord’s Supper only when they could get a pastor, which was often only once a month, or even less.  Another source is a movement called “Pietism” which downplayed the importance of the Sacraments and put an emphasis on the subjective “feelings” that an individual has towards his or her faith.

Q:  Has our Synod said anything concerning the frequency of communion?

A:  Yes, the 1995 Convention of the LCMS passed the following resolution:

To Encourage Every Sunday Communion

RESOLUTION 2-08A

Overture 2-51 (CW, pp.149-150)

Whereas, the opportunity to receive the Lord's Supper each Lord's Day was a reality cherished by Luther and set forth clearly with high esteem by our Lutheran Confessions (Article XXIV of the Augsburg Confession and of the Apology); and

Whereas, our synod's 1983 CTCR document on the Lord's Supper (p.28) and our Synod's 1986 [1991] translation of Luther's Catechism both remind us that the Scriptures place the Lord's Supper at the center of worship (Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:20,23), and not as an appendage or an occasional extra; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in convention encourage its pastors and congregations to study the scriptural, confessional, and historical witness to every Sunday

communion with a view toward recovering the opportunity for receiving the Lord's Supper each

Lord's Day.

Action: Adopted

Q:  Does this mean that every congregation member MUST receive the Lord’s Supper
every Sunday?

A:  No.  We must see the Lord’s Supper as a gift freely given, not a new law which we must follow in order to be a Christian.  With that said, the Christian grows in his or her appreciation for this gift because of the gift itself and our deep need for this gift.  We are sinners, all of us, and so long as that remains true we have need of forgiveness which is exactly the gift that is given in Christ’s Body and Blood that we eat and drink.

Q:  If I see someone not receiving the Lord’s Supper what should I think?

A:  We should do as the 8th commandment says (using the old language): “put the best construction on everything”.  We should not assume anything other than that this person, in his freedom, is not choosing to receive the Lord’s Supper on this day.  Resist the temptation to think beyond that.

Q:  But won’t having the Lord’s Supper more often make it less special?

A:  It is not our own subjective feeling that makes the Lord’s Supper special, but rather it is that which is given - Christ’s Body and Blood - and certainty in the promise of the forgiveness of sins that makes the Lord’s Supper special. That may, and often will, produce good feelings within a person, but we should rely on the sure and certain gift, rather than the feeling that gift may produce. Our faith, after all, is based in the concrete promises and actions of God.

Q:  What about visitors?

A:  In line with our Synod’s and the historic Church’s practice of closed communion, we welcome those who are members of congregations with whom we are in fellowship with (other LCMS congregations and congregations of sister/partner churches).  To visitors who are members of other confessions of faith, it is our practice to gently explain this practice, to encourage the importance of learning what we believe concerning the Sacrament, and to share a common confession.  Therefore our response is not simply a “no”, but rather “not yet”.