Congregation at Prayer

Catechesis Notes for the Week — Why Are Guests Asked to Speak with the Pastor before Communing?—There are two reasons why guests are asked to speak with the Pastor before going to the Lord’s Supper. First, it is the responsibility of the pastor to examine the confession of faith of those who come to the Altar. Our concern is that they know their sin, they trust in Christ alone for salvation, and they believe that He is giving them His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament. “Worthy reception” of the Sacrament requires such faith. Second, the Lord’s Supper is not merely an individual Christian in communion with his Lord, it is also the declaration that the communicant believes and confesses the faith with the church in that place. The external teaching and confession of the church that we belong to is important, because it is the external Word and sacraments that nurture and sustain that saving faith.

CP260301

Catechesis Notes for the Week —The Lord’s Supper: A Pledge of the Resurrection of the Body — The Lord’s Supper was, since ancient times, called “the medicine of immortality.”  In the Lord’s Supper we receive Jesus’ true body and blood.  This is the same body and blood that was born of the Virgin Mary and that was given and shed for us for the forgiveness of all our sin. “Where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.”   It is precisely because the body and blood of Jesus delivers to us Christ’s forgiveness, that His body and blood becomes the source of restored life with God, the resurrection of our bodies, and eternal life, incorruption, and immortality.  When we receive Jesus’ true body and blood in faith, we are receiving the very pledge from our Savior that on the last day we shall be raised bodily from the dead, and our mortal flesh will put on immortality and incorruption.

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This is My body. In the Lord’s Supper Jesus gives us His body to eat and His blood to drink. The Sacrament of the Altar rests upon the Word of God. Jesus’ words give what they say. The power and benefits of the Sacrament are given through the Word. Take away the Word and there is no Sacrament. With the Word, there is a Sacrament, namely, “the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself, for us Christians to eat and to drink.” What role does faith play in the Sacrament? Faith receives what the Word says. Faith believes in what the Word gives. Faith rests upon the promises of God. The essence of the Sacrament, that is, “what it is,” is determined by the Word. This gives faith its certainty. We know we receive the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of all our sins, because the Word says so. Faith knows no other certainty but the promises of the Gospel.

CP260215

Catechesis Notes for the Week — Baptism and the Life of Confession and Absolution—In Holy Baptism we become Christians.  The Lord gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit and faith.  Our sin is forgiven for Christ’s sake, and we are rescued from eternal death and condemnation. Baptism happens once, but its benefits and privileges endure forever.  Baptized Christians are called to live in their baptism daily.  This means that we are called to daily contrition and repentance for sin that we might return to the promise of our baptism for the forgiveness of sins and the renewal of our faith and life.  This makes confession and absolution not only a regular part of the Christian faith and life, but a glorious return to our baptism wherein God made us His children and clothed us with the righteousness of His Son.  We should learn to believe that Holy Baptism gives us the rights and privileges of children.  In Baptism we are declared to be sons of God through Christ and have the privilege of access to our heavenly Father for Jesus’ sake.  Because of the ongoing struggle with sin, we are tempted to doubt that we are God’s children, that God still loves us, and that it is possible for us to be forgiven.  Baptism declares that it is not only possible to be God’s Children, but that forgiving our sin is His will for us in Christ.  We have the right and privilege to confess our sins daily AND to believe that for Christ’s sake our sin is forgiven and that we rise to newness of life precisely because we have been baptized into Christ and are saved from our sin through faith in Him.

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Catechesis Notes for the Week — He Was Raised for Our Justification —“Christ was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25).  “When I look at my sins, they slay me. Therefore I must look upon Christ, who drew my sins upon Himself and has become a blessing. Now they lie no longer on my conscience but on Christ, and they seek to slay Him.  Let us see, then, how they get on with Him.  They cast Him down and kill Him. O, Lord God, where is now my Christ and my Redeemer? Then God comes and brings Christ forth and makes Him above, and not only alive, but He sets Him in heaven and lets Him rule over all things. Now where is sin? It is on the gibbet. And when I hold on to this and believe it I have a joyful conscience, like Christ, for I am without sin. Now I dare death, the devil, sin, and hell to do me harm. Inasmuch as I am a descendant of Adam they can harm me; I must shortly die. But now that Christ has laid upon Himself my sin, and has died for it, and been slain for it, they can do me no harm, for Christ is too strong for them. They cannot hold Him. He breaks forth and smites them to the ground, and ascends into heaven, binds and fetters sin and sorrow, and rules over them eternally. Therefore I have a good conscience, I am joyful and blessed, and fear those tyrants no longer, for Christ has taken my sin away from me and laid it on Himself.  But they cannot remain on Him.” – Martin Luther

CP260201

Catechesis Notes for the Week — “Fishers of Men” — In this week’s Gospel Jesus extends the call into the ministry to four men who had become His disciples through the ministry of John the Baptist.  Like all of us, after their baptism they returned to their vocation as fishermen in the town of Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee.  When Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” He was calling them to leave their vocation and enter into the Office of the Apostolic Ministry in which they would no longer fish in the way they had, but would now “fish for men” through the preaching of the Gospel.  We are all called to bear witness to our Lord in whatever vocation God has given us, but there is the office of the Holy Ministry in which men are called to full time service in the preaching of the Gospel and administration of the Sacraments.  The Church includes both the witness of laymen in their earthly callings and the witness of her ministers in fulltime service to the Church and the world.

CP260125

Catechesis Notes for the Week — “Behold! The Lamb of God Who Takes away the Sin of the World!” Believe it or not, there are certain Christian denominations that believe that Jesus did not die for everyone but only for certain people.  For example, some teach that He only died for the elect, those predestined to salvation.  Not true!  Some teach that He only died for those who would come to faith in Him.  Not true!  The words of John after Jesus’ baptism make it clear that He died for the sins of the whole world.  This is an enormous source of comfort because it means that God really does love everyone, even though many reject Him.

CP261018

Catechesis Notes for the Week — The Baptism of Our Lord — Christians should look to their Baptism every day for their identity and strength.  Our Baptism means that we are the children of God; Christ’s death for sin and resurrection for our justification is ours; Christ’s righteousness clothes us and makes us acceptable to the Father; the Holy Spirit has been poured out into our hearts through Christ; and faith has been created in our hearts.  What God has made us and given us in our Baptism also becomes the strength by which we live our lives, repent of sin, resist Satan, and enjoy the testimony of a clean conscience.

CP260111

Catechesis Notes for the Week — Epiphany — “Epiphany” means “to be revealed.”  During the Epiphany season, Jesus is “revealed” to be the Son of God and the Savior of all people, Jew and Gentile alike.  Throughout this season we see the divinity of Jesus revealed in the Holy Gospel readings and the glory of God shining through the flesh of the eternal Son who is both “the Father’s beloved” and “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

CP260104

Catechesis Notes for the Week — “‘I have been crucified with Christ…Christ lives in me!’ It is in our baptism that we have been crucified with Christ, so that Christ now lives in us. Since we have been crucified with Christ, the Law has been fulfilled for us, sin has been atoned for, and the gift of new life is ours. This new life begins now by faith in Christ the crucified. Victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil is never by the strength of our own will but solely by the merits of Jesus’ crucifixion. Faith receives Christ’s victory and lives in Him. Sin, death, and hell cannot destroy Him and, therefore, they cannot destroy us because He lives in us. This means that each day of our lives as Christians is lived by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. Christ’s sacrifice of love for us upon the cross is always before our eyes. This means that ‘the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me,’ is not only the object of my faith, but also the source and strength for living the Christian life. Day by day, moment by moment, our life in the flesh—with all its struggles, weaknesses, and failings—is lived by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us.” — Excerpted from Lutheran Catechesis, p. 230c, used by permission.

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