Inquiring at the Lord’s Table
12/7/04
TH 291
Laura Thelander
Introduction – Luther
- this
essay is early on before Reformation started up
- Luther
in church father line of Augustine (Augustinian monk)
- continuity
with Augustine
- Augustine
gave us first formal definition of ‘sacrament’
- Augustine
- “when a word is added to an element, there results a sacrament”
- Luther
differentiates between sign and what it signifies
- this
writing is a sermon
- didactic
or teaching moment – exegetes off of sacrament texts
- exhortation
to certain way of life
- Luther
criticisms
- transubstantiation
– this essay is early so he has not formulated his
anti-transubstantiation stance yet
- mass
- Luther’s
Works – entire sermon is located in this book
Eucharist
- medieval
– some only served bread
- potential
spill of the wine would be sacriligious
- protecting
holiness and sacredness of the sacrament
- Council
of Constance – said that administration with only one element was
legitimate
- overall,
piety of the not spilling of the wine
Reform flavor in this essay (though early)
- critique
is against the brotherhoods (practices)
- groups
of laypeople
- purpose
of brotherhoods – to engage in devotional practices, meetings would
include prayer
- required
to attend mass for feast day of the saint on which they were named
- brotherhoods
– ended up being party groups
- brotherhood
– supposed to be for good works
- they
should gather money to feed 2-3 people with money used from fast
- false
idea: brotherhood is meant to be for themselves not others
- “something
special” for yourself? if by it
you serve others and the community, you will have the reward – GET THIS
REFERENCE
- love
serves freely, without charge
The role of the saints
- all
believers
- not
using it in terms of the Catholic saints
- intercede
for us
- one
idea – dead people do not sin anymore, they are better able to intercede
for us
- Luther
radicalizes concept of saints to include all believers
Theme
- communion
is not only a gift for us
- communion
is also a task
- p.
263 – take on burdens of others
- JDL –
two sides of receiving communion (individual, communal)
- receive
blessing
- receive
task to care for others
- rooted
in the idea of body of Christ
- Lord’s
Supper unites believers again in body of Christ
- presence
vs. symbol?
- actual?
- we
take on each other, take on Christ
- mutuality
- transformational
moment – we are conformed to Christ in communion with one another
- HOW
CAN I TEACH THIS IF THE BREAD AND CUP ARE ONLY SYMBOLS?
- WHAT
IS THE BRIDGE?
- WHY
EVEN HAVE COMMUNION?
- Catherine
of Sienna
Invisible Love and Visible Love
- do
not put too much confidence in the visible
Luther’s view on sin/salvation
- sin
is turning inward on oneself
- forgiven
of sin frees us for our neighbor
- salvation
is in Christ and we are then freed to look out toward others, this plays
out in communion as well
- Luther
may be indirectly speaking against the brotherhood when he exhorts
believers to focus on others in the gathering for the Eucharist
Faith
- evangelical
moment, meaning good news of Christ
- sacrament
was not just the good work of the ritual
- it
must be received with belief, trust, confidence
JDL
- this
sheds light on Jesus’ teaching of seeking forgiveness before coming to
worship
- a lack
of forgiveness ruptures the unity in the body of Christ
- overall,
his thesis is the body of Christ is strengthened in terms of unity by
taking the body and blood of Jesus through the sacrament of the Lord’s
Supper. this idea is rooted in the
notion of the community of believers as the body of Christ where when one
part suffers, all suffers.
- idea:
communion brings people closer together which could lead to conflict
(initially but longterm healing)???
Augustine
- if
you were outside the church, then the sacrament was not effectual until
you join the church
Augustine responds to Donatists
- administrator
does not impact effect of sacrament
Is communion meaningless without faith?
- Laura
– yes
- Luther
– also you are eating and drinking in condemnation
Corruptible?
- gift
is always good
- the
issue is the reception and/or receiver
Christ’s presence vs. symbol vs. transubstantiation
Baptized Protestants taking community in Catholic church
- Catholic
perspective – we are not part of the one true church
- this
is not honored across the board (some priests are more lenient)
- since
Vatican II – Protestants are seen as communions of Christians
Luther – Communion is about love
·
challenge – communion is about love not doctrine
·
if Protestant goes forward for communion, then Catholic
is called not to reject you
·
other side, go up with arms crossed and receive a
blessing
·
to protest the situation by throwing yourself in front
is not out of love either
JDL TAKE-AWAYS
JDL
- this
sheds light on Jesus’ teaching of seeking forgiveness before coming to
worship
- a lack
of forgiveness ruptures the unity in the body of Christ
- overall,
his thesis is the body of Christ is strengthened in terms of unity by
taking the body and blood of Jesus through the sacrament of the Lord’s
Supper. this idea is rooted in the
notion of the community of believers as the body of Christ where when one
part suffers, all suffers.
- idea:
communion brings people closer together which could lead to conflict
(initially but longterm healing)???
- JDL –
two sides of receiving communion (individual, communal)
- receive
blessing
- receive
task to care for others
- rooted
in the idea of body of Christ
- Lord’s
Supper unites believers again in body of Christ
- presence
vs. symbol?
- actual?
- we
take on each other, take on Christ
- mutuality
- transformational
moment – we are conformed to Christ in communion with one another
- HOW
CAN I TEACH THIS IF THE BREAD AND CUP ARE ONLY SYMBOLS?
- WHAT
IS THE BRIDGE?
- WHY
EVEN HAVE COMMUNION?
IDEA:
brotherhoods – correlation to current day small groups? good/bad aspects