Life on the Pasture

For the past few days, I have been offering opportunities for people to come in small groups to receive the Lord’s Supper if they would like. We met in the Boettcher Center (our gym) with nine chairs spread out seven feet from each other. There were individual plates with a wafer and small cup of wine, all prepared by me with plenty of sanitizer, gloves, and an N95 mask on. Most of our groups were 2-4 people, although a few were a bit larger. We never did get to the limit of 10 people in the room.

Congregations throughout the world have been addressing the matter of how to celebrate Holy Communion in a variety of ways. But there are times when one can’t do what one desires to do. For instance, if some sort of physical ailment makes it impossible to swallow, or if one finds him or herself in a situation where he or she is totally isolated or may not even have bread and wine, that makes partaking of the Supper as our Lord instituted it quite difficult. For many in our congregation, they have not been able (nor would it be safe for them) to leave their homes or for someone else to come in.

So does that mean that one is less of a Christian because he or she cannot partake of the Supper? Hardly. The very Word of God which is attached to the bread and wine in the Sacrament remains to give the same forgiveness, the same comfort, the same peace. In other words, Jesus still comes.

When people visit our congregation and ask if they can commune, I ask them if they are a baptized Christian, what congregation they are a member of, and why do they wish to commune. I want to hear something more than, “I’m with my family,” or, “It’s a good thing to do.” I want to hear something similar to what Martin Luther says in his Small Catechism: “He or she is worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”

Doing this unique time in our history, one may not have the opportunity to receive the Supper for awhile. But the opportunity to receive or Lord’s gift of forgiveness is always there. And so we continue our Holy Week journey giving thanks to the One who came that we might have forgiveness, life and salvation and continues to feed and nurture us as the Holy Spirit works through the Word.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. (Psalm 118:1)

– Pastor Schmidt

Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash