CommunionHow to Receive Communion Worthily

Recognizing Jesus' Real Presence in the Lord's Supper

Chain the Catechism: A topical study through the Lutheran confessions

Memorization Verses: Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: "Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins." But anyone who

does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared, for the words "for you" require all hearts to believe

LSB 637 http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/d/e/a/deatjcol.htm

1 Draw near and take the body of the Lord,And drink the holy blood for you outpoured;Offered was He for greatest and for least,Himself the victim and Himself the priest.

2 He who His saints in this world rules and shields,To all believers life eternal yields;With heav'nly bread He makes the hungry whole,Gives living waters to the thirsting

soul. 3 Come forward then with faithful

hearts sincere,And take the pledges of salvation here.O Lord, our hearts with grateful thanks endowAs in this feast of love You bless us now.

Sing it!

Game

-Preparing for communion:

A look back-Up-Forward-Inward-

Psalm 65:4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!

PRAYER

• Faith• Believe• Change• Examine• Confirm

P raiseR epentanceA ppreciationY ouE veryoneR esolve

Pray Psalm 139: 1 You have searched me, Lord,

and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue

you, Lord, know it completely.

5 You hem me in behind and before,

and you lay your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain.

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.

LSB 624

1 Lord Jesus Christ, life-giving Bread,May I in grace possess You.Let me with holy food be fed,In hunger I address You. Prepare me well for You, O Lord,And, humbly by my prayer implored,Give me Your grace and mercy.

2 To pastures green, Lord, safely guide,To restful waters lead me;Your table well for me provide,Your wounded hand now feed me.Though weary, sinful, sick, and weak,Refuge in You alone I seek,To share Your cup of healing.

3 O Bread of heav'n, my soul's delight,For full and free remissionI come with prayer before Your sight,In sorrow and contrition.Your rightousness, Lord, cover meThat I receive You worthily,Assured of Your full pardon.

4 I do not merit favor, Lord,My weight of sin would break me;In all my guilty heart's discord,O Lord, do not forsake me.In my distress this comforts meThat You receive me graciously,O Christ, my Lord of mercy!

Sing it!

Discussion

Discussion

As for himself, though weary and under a shadow of fear, Sam still had some strength left. The lembas had a virtue without which they would long ago have lain down to die. It did not satisfy desire, and at times Sam’s mind was filled with the memories of food, and the longing for simple bread and meats. And yet this waybread of the Elves had a potency that increased as travelers relied on it alone and did not mingle it with other foods. It fed the will, and it gave strength to endure, and to master sinew and limb beyond the measure of mortal kind.” (Return of the King, 262)

Lord of the Rings

Our adventure of life requires continual reflection:What do I need to prepare?What am I doing for others?What binds me to my loved ones?

The Eucharist provides an opportunity to honor Christ in our journeyUnites people within this veil of tearsFeeds body and soul uniquelySustains and strengthens our life with

the death of Christ.Helps us to be worthy of our

sufferings

We are on a Journey

Who should partake of the Supper? Broken, miserable sinners who recognize their

damnable place before God Sustained Christians who seek strength to

perform righteousness and goodness Those readying for the eternal phase of their

journey in death Those children declaring their baptism in life

Who should not partake of the Supper? Those who care nothing and mock its

importance Those who do not properly “discern” the body

and blood Those who live in sin without repentence,

seeking the enjoyment of evil without reprieve.

Who is Worthy?

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. kataggeÑllw: To herald with actions and speech qanaton tou kuriou: Lord’s death intimately connected to the bread and cup, not a

new death, but the continuing promise in its real presence and promise.

Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. a)naciswv: Not worthy as a criminal Eánoxov: Continuing thought, makes us Guilty of the whole body (like James 2

states about sin and the whole law)

But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. dokima/zw: To Judge rightly between laws and actions. To be intellectually aware

of one’s surroundings. Used also in ch. 10 about judging the supper as the participation in Christ’s body/blood.

For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. diakrinwn to swma: To discern the body, referring to Christ’s body, not the church,

nor ourselves. Preceding context of the word soma, is only used in connection to the body of Christ in context of the Last Supper. The Church is referred to with the word ekklesia. We discern the body of Christ as much as we discern our own nature. If we do not recognize one or the other, we are drinking judgement and discipline upon ourselves until we repent.

Exegesis: NT

On our life journey, tests are important points to reflect on our identity and where we are going.Confirmation gives us an opportunity to declare

our baptism publicly and to denounce Satan and all of his ways.

Confirmation, whether formal or informal, is the discernment necessary to be admitted into the visible church sacrament

Confirmation reminds us all of our need to consider our beliefs, and to not partake of the supper without recognizing the importance of the Real Presence of Christ as we participate with Him.

Confirmation: Declaring Baptism

Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament....There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth, and more than that: death: by the divine paradox, that which ends life, and demands the surrender of all, and yet by the taste (or foretaste) of which alone can what you seek in your earthly relationships (love, faithfulness, joy) be maintained, or take on that complexion of reality, of eternal endurance, that every man's heart desires

J.R. Tolkein

Now consider which is more excellent, the bread of angels [i.e., the manna} or the Flesh of Christ which is indeed the Body of life. That manna was from heaven; this is from above the heavens. The former was from heaven, the latter from the Lord of the heavens; the former was subject to corruption if it was preserved for a second day, the latter foreign to all corruption so that whoever shall have piously tasted it will not be able to experience corruption. For the people of Israel water flowed from the rock; for you Blood flows from Christ. The water satisfied them for a while; Blood washes you for eternity,

St. Ambrose

Communion

Say Mean Matter

Key phrases Own words Answer the questions/Personal application

• Who receives this sacrament worthily? • Why is it important to receive the Sacrament worthily? • Is it necessary to fast before receiving the Sacrament? • When do we receive the Sacrament worthily? • When is a person unworthy and unprepared? • How are we to examine ourselves before receiving the Sacrament? • May those who are weak in faith come to the Lord's Table? • Who must not be given the Sacrament? • What is confirmation? •______________________________

SS Faith M Believe T Change W Examine Th Confirm

Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: "Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins." But anyone who does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared, for the words "for you" require all hearts to believe.

•

SS Faith

It is very important because St. Paul clearly teaches: "Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before He eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself' (1 Cor. 11:27-29).

Fasting can be good training for the will, but God does not command particular times, places, and forms for this.

 1 Tim. 4:8 Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things.

 Note: See also 1 Cor. 9:24-27: 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I

have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize..

We receive it worthily when we have faith in Christ and His words, "Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins."

A person is unworthy and unprepared when he or she does not believe or doubts Christ's words, since the words "for you" require all hearts to believe.

• Pray: Lord, even though it is true that I am not

worthy that You should come under my roof; yet I need and desire Your help and grace that I, too, may become pious. So I come, relying on nothing but the welcome words that I have just heard, with which You have invited me to Your table and promise that I, an unworthy sinner, shall enjoy the forgiveness of all sins through Your body and blood when I eat and drink it in this Sacrament. Amen. Dear Lord, Your Word is true. I do not doubt this, and so I eat and drink with You. Be it unto me according to Your Word. Amen. (Luther)

M Believe

We are to examine ourselves to see whether A. we are sorry for our sins;

 Ps. 38:18 1 confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.

 2 Cor. 7:10-11 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you.

B. we believe in our Savior Jesus Christ and in His words in the Sacrament;

 Luke 22:19-20 This is My body given for you . . . This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.

 2 Cor. 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.

C. we plan, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to change our sinful lives.

 Eph. 4:22-24 Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows

corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and ... put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness (NKJV).

 As a preparation for the Sacrament, use "Christian Questions with Their Answers."

Yes, for Christ instituted the Sacrament for the very purpose

• Pray: Lord, as a student I wouldn’t

take a test without studying first. Shall I not study Your Word and examine my faith before appearing at Your altar? Grant me a willing heart to know and believe what Your Word teaches and what You promise in this Sacrament. Amen.

T Change

The Sacrament must not be given to the following: A. Those who are openly ungodly and

unrepentant, including those who take part in non-Christian religious worship.

1 Cor. 5:11, 13 You must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. . . . " Expel thewicked man from among you."

1 Cor. 10:20-21 The sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons.

B. Those who are unforgiving, refusing to be reconciled. They show thereby that they do not really believe that God forgives them either.

Matt. 6:15 If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Bible narrative: The unmerciful servant (Matt. 18:21-35).

C. Those of a different confession of faith, since the Lord's Supper is a testimony of the unity of faith.

Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

1 Cor. 10:17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are

many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 1 Cor. 11:26 Whenever you eat this bread and drink

this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Rom. 16:17 Watch out for those who cause divisions

and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

D. Those who are unable to examine themselves, such as infants, people who have not received proper instruction, or the unconscious.

1 Cor. 11:28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.

Note: Pastors as stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4:1) have the greatest responsibility as to who should be admitted to the Sacrament. Some of the responsibility also rests with the congregation and the communicant.

• Pray: O Lord Jesus, You call not saints, but

sinners, to the Supper which Your grace has provided, such sinners as rely upon Your gracious Word. Grant me grace to always approach Your Table as a poor sinner, hungering after grace and trusting Your Word, which promises grace, and more grace to receive the forgiveness offered me their with a believing heart. Amen. (Zorn).

W Examine

Confirmation is a public rite of the church preceded by a period of instruction designed to help baptized Christians identify with the life and mission of the Christian community.

 Note: Prior to admission to the Lord's Supper, it is necessary to be instructed in the Christian faith (1 Cor. 11:28). The rite of confirmation provides an opportunity for the individual Christian, relying on God's promise given in Holy Baptism, to make a personal public confession of the faith and a lifelong pledge of fidelity to Christ.

 Matt. 10:32-33 Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown him before My Father in heaven.

 Rev. 2:10 Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

• Pray: O God, Creator of heaven and earth.

You have sent Your only Son Jesus Christ into the world. For me he was crucified, died, and was buried, and rose again on the

third day. He ascended to heaven to sit at Your right hand and rule all things. He sent His Spirit so we may await His coming to judge both the living and the dead, and with the Spirit, we may come to the eternal kingdom. It is our heritage which You will give us through Him. For this reason, O Lord God, You have instituted and given to us Baptism and the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ Your Son. For us You have united Christ with theses Sacraments. In them You reveal Yourself and command us to receive You. Cornered by Satan, we are grievously tormented by sin and constantly surrounded by death. Dear Son of God, Jesus Christ, You came to earth to destroy the works of the devil. You have brought life and immortality to light. Give us again Your work, which is righteous and gives life. Help us to withstand the works of the devil, by which he would cast us from life into death. O Christ, who has overcome the devil, help me also to defeat him. Do not leave me. Amen. (Luther).

Th Confirm

Bonus

LSB 628   1 Your table I approach;

Dear Savior, hear my prayer.Let not an unrepentant heartProve hurtful to me there.2 Lord, I confess my sinsAnd mourn their wretched bands;A contrite heart is sure to findForgiveness at Your hands.3 Your body and Your blood,Once slain and shed for me,Are taken at Your table, Lord,In blest reality.4 Search not how this takes place,This wondrous mystery;God can accomplish vastly moreThan what we think could be.

5 O grant, most blessed Lord,That earth and hell combinedMay not about this sacramentRaise doubt within my mind.6 Oh, may I never failTo thank You day and nightFor Your true body and true blood,O God, my peace and light.

Sing it!

ConclusionFasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: "Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins." But anyone who does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared, for the words "for you" require all hearts to believe.It is very important because St. Paul clearly teaches: "Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before He eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself' (1 Cor. 11:27-29).Fasting can be good training for the will, but God does not command particular times, places, and forms for this.We receive it worthily when we have faith in Christ and His words, "Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins."A person is unworthy and unprepared when he or she does not believe or doubts Christ's words, since the words "for you" require all hearts to believe. We are to examine ourselves to see whetherA.we are sorry for our sins;B.we believe in our Savior Jesus Christ and in His words in the Sacrament;C.we plan, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to change our sinful lives.As a preparation for the Sacrament, use "Christian Questions with Their Answers."Yes, for Christ instituted the Sacrament for the very purpose

of strengthening and increasing our faith.The Sacrament must not be given to the following:A. Those who are openly ungodly and unrepentant, including those who take part in non-Christian religious worship.B. Those who are unforgiving, refusing to be reconciled. They show thereby that they do not really believe that God forgives them either.C. Those of a different confession of faith, since the Lord's Supper is a testimony of the unity of faith.D. Those who are unable to examine themselves, such as infants, people who have not received proper instruction, or the unconscious.Note: Pastors as stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4:1) have the greatest responsibility as to who should be admitted to the Sacrament. Some of the responsibility also rests with the congregation and the communicant.Confirmation is a public rite of the church preceded by a period of instruction designed to help baptized Christians identify with the life and mission of the Christian community.Note: Prior to admission to the Lord's Supper, it is necessary to be instructed in the Christian faith (1 Cor. 11:28). The rite of confirmation provides an opportu for the individual Christian, relying on God's promise given in Holy Baptism, to make a personal public confession of the faith and a lifelong pledge of fidelity to Christ.

Daily Prayers: Blessings and Thanks

Next Time…(6/1)

Daily Prayers--1 Prayer: Blessings and ThanksTable of Duties--6 Bishops, Pastors, Preachers, Hearers

Civil Government and CitizensHusbands, Wives, Parents, ChildrenWorkers, Employers, and SupervisorsYouth and WidowsEveryone & Two Kingdoms

Fruits of the Spirit--9 LoveJoyPeacePatienceKindnessGoodnessFaithfulnessGentlenessSelf-Control

Spiritual Gifts--9http://archive.elca.org/evangelizingchurch/print/spiritgifts.html

Administration, Leadership, and PastoringArtistry, Skilled Craft, WritingMusic, Praise, and Worship Evangelism & TeachingFaith, Exhortation, and DiscernmentGiving, Hospitality, Stewardship, CharityMercy, Service, and IntercessionWisdom & Knowledge