The ACELC exists "to give a united voice against errors that are officially adopted in convention, tolerated, and/or promoted in the LCMS.”

Closed Communion: The Supper Belongs to The Lord

As much as we may not like to acknowledge it, when it comes to admittance to the Sacrament of the Altar, our practice throughout the Synod leaves room for improvement. Closed Communion, yes closed, is the historic practice of the Synod. Agreement in all articles of faith, normally demonstrated by a public confession of Church membership, was the prerequisite for admittance to the Table of our Lord. Unfortunately, besides faithful Closed Communion, practices found in the congregations of the Synod include “don’t ask, don’t tell,” “everyone who believes in Jesus,” “I’m a Lutheran,” and “I’m sorry and I believe Jesus forgives me.”

 

The ACELC has identified lax communion practice as one of the errors being tolerated in the Synod. You can view the ACELC’s Communion Theses online as well as make use of this Communion Fellowship Study. In the following note, Pastor Caleb Schewe sets forth a faithful and loving approach to the practice of Closed Communion.

 

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God be praised that the Lord's Supper is not my supper. It's not your supper. It's the Lord's Supper, and as such, we practice faithful stewardship over His Supper.

 

Let's say you visit another church and the pastor there encourages you, without question, to come receive the Lord's Supper. And, let's say you know from 1 Corinthians 11 that it's possible to receive the Lord's Supper to your harm.

 

Does the pastor take the time to know what you believe? Maybe he learns you belong to an LCMS church. Does he ask if you attend? Does he find out if you know the Commandments, Creed, and Lord's Prayer, that is, basics of the faith? Does he know if you're baptized? Does he know if you believe that you actually receive with your mouth the risen body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ? Does he know if you've been put under the minor ban? Does he know if you harbor grudges and refuse to forgive others, not struggling to forgive but refusing to forgive? Does he know if you're living in ongoing, willful, unrepentant sin? Does he even know if you're a Christian? Does he recognize that he's a steward of the mysteries, and as such, the Supper does not belong to him but to the Lord? Does he know why you desire to receive the Lord's Supper? Do you desire it because everyone else receives it? If you only take the Lord's Supper because you don't want to feel left out, that's a lousy reason to receive.

 

A pastor can't possibly have this conversation in a few minutes before service. Faithful pastoral care, that is, faithful loving care of the soul, does not want to risk something harmful to another person. The pastor, as steward of the mysteries, must dare to take this seriously. No visitor goes to hell by not receiving the Lord's Supper on one particular Sunday. But a visitor could receive the Lord's Supper to his harm.

 

Add to that, we're not denying anyone Jesus by withholding the Lord's Supper. When a visitor comes, they receive real forgiveness. They receive the Word of God richly in our service. They receive the preaching of God's Word, and that preaching is for them. This doesn't make closed communion easy. Get over it; the faithful steward isn't supposed to have it easy.

 

It's not God's fault that closed communion is a necessary practice. It’s not God's fault the church has divisions. The fault is in us. It's our sin, our selfishness, our schisms in churches, that fracture the church into many denominations. We should not pretend that we all agree in the holy communion when it's clear that we don't all agree. We should not force unity at the table when there's not unity in confession.

 

The comfort is that Jesus still comes to us broken, miserable, divided sinners, just as He came and stripped Himself and stooped down to wash the apostle's feet. Jesus does the dirty work among broken sinners.

 

And, God be praised, Christ remained among the apostles, distributing forgiveness and peace in their midst. It's for sinners that Jesus came, for sinners that He gives life-giving flesh and blood, as He comes and continues washing you from sin, even after you've undergone the baptismal bath.

 

This side of glory, closed communion is a necessary, loving, faithful practice. We should not pretend we have a common unity at the Lord's table when we don't. Pray for unity. Pray for one faithful church, even as you confess one holy church.

 

Someday, you'll see it. The day will come when you will see the church as Christ sees her. You will get to partake with your family and friends in Christ at one table, one feast, around the one slaughtered-yet-standing Lamb, in one eternal glory. It will be well worth the wait.

 

 

Pastor Caleb Schewe

St. John Lutheran Church

Monticello, Iowa