HOLYCOMMUNION — A GUIDE FOR VISITORS
Out of love for our Lord and respect forwhat he has given us in Holy Communion, we follow Biblical guidelinesinadministering and receiving it. It is sometimes called theLord’sSupperbecause it is exactly that: His, not ours. We want to becarefuland responsible stewards of this special gift.
God’s Wordsays this about communing:
The Lord Jesus,on thenight he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, hebroke it andsaid, ”This is my body which is for you; do this in remembrance of me ... This cup is the new covenant in my blood . ..” Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in anunworthymanner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of theLord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinksof thecup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the bodyof theLord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
Is not the cup ofthanksgivingfor which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And isnot the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?Becausethere is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partakeof theone loaf.(1Corinthians 10 and 11, NIV)
Shouldn’teveryone go to Communion ?
There areseveral Biblical reasons why aperson may not be in a position to receive Communion:
• Not able to remember what Christ hasdone —Jesus said that we ought to participate in remembrance ofhim. Those who have not been instructed concerning Christ’sredeeming workwould not be able to commune in remembrance of him. The very youngwouldnot be able to examinethemselves,another Biblical requirement.
• Not believing that Christ’s body andblood aretruly present —The Bible specifically warns us about notrecognizing whatwe are receiving. Some churches deny this fact.
• Not repenting of sin —God counselsus in hisWord to examine ourselves before we commune. We need to let theunwaveringstandards of his law expose our need for forgiveness.
• Not in agreement about God’s Word —TheBibleteaches that Holy Communion is an expression of unity, not only withour Saviorwho instituted it but also among those who receiveit. Participation isbased on full agreement in all that the Bible teaches. That is whatbinds us“close” to our Savior and “close” to one another.
If you area communicant member of asister congregation of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS)or theEvangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS), we invite you to share Holy Communionwith usbased on our Biblical unity of doctrine and practice. An usherwill guideyou in registering.
If you are not a member of a sister congregation of the WisconsinEvangelicalLutheran Synod (WELS) or the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS), we arenot ableto share Holy Communion with you at this time. This is not areflectionupon your personal faith. Since human beings can’t look intohearts, wecan only react to denominational connections or the absence thereof.
Why haven’tI heard of “Close Communion” before ?
Participatingin Holy Communion only withchurches whose beliefs are what you are convinced is Biblical is notnew. Christ gave Communion to his closest followers only, not tothegeneral public. The early Christian church practiced close communionand sohave most Christians until recent times. The Bible has not changed butmanydenominations have since chosen to ignore Biblical directives.
Won’tpeople wonder why I don’t commune ?
Our churchunderstands that there arevalid reasons not to commune, especially if you are a visitor. TheLordhas not forgotten you. The good news in his Word of forgivenessforsinners extends to everyone. Participation in Holy Communion is aprivilege that comes at the proper time. Please speak with ourpastorafter the service or during the week about your own situation and theessentials for being one with us also in Holy Communion.
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