what is our communion practice?
On the first and third Sunday of each month, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Our Shepherd Lutheran Church practices the historic and Scriptural practice of closed communion, the standard practice of 1.8 billion Christians around the world today (i.e. The Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, other Confessional Lutheran church bodies, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Reformed Presbyterian Church, the American Presbyterian Church, some Anglican churches, et. al.). Our rationale for this practice is twofold:
Risk of ‘Unworthy’ Reception: Scripture exhorts us in 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 “to examine [ourselves]” before our reception of the Lord’s Supper; we’re called to apply that same critical examination and discernment towards the nature of this holy meal - what it actually is and what it truly gives. Neglecting to discern the nature of this meal and our need for what it gives, Paul writes, risks receiving this meal in an “unworthy manner”; such recipients would “be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord” and would “eat and drink judgment upon themselves” (1 Corinthians 11:27-29). The severity of these words and our sincere care for all who worship with us are why we encourage worshippers outside of our fellowship to temporarily refrain from communing with us until they have scheduled a meeting with our pastor to talk about communion.
Premature Profession of Unity: Like much of the western world, American Christians frequently approach worshipping God in a privatized way (i.e. “just me and Jesus”). This inherently cuts against the corporate nature of the Lord’s Supper, which is intended to celebrate a horizontal unity of faith between us and those with whom we share this meal (1 Corinthians 10:17; 11:26). Because the celebration of this meal is inherently a declaration of oneness in faith among those who receive it together, we want you to know what our church believes - so when you do commune with us, you can make this joint profession of faith confidently without injury to your conscience.
Because we wish to celebrate this meal with you responsibly, our pastor offers a pathway class called FaithBuilders - a free 10 lesson course which covers the basics of biblical doctrine - including what our church believes the Bible teaches about this meal. Sign up for the free class today!