Replies to Invalid Communion at LCMS Teachers' Convention
By Rev. Jack Cascione

 

There weren't any neutral replies to the release titled, "LCMS Teacher's Convention Receives Invalid Communion." The question is whether the teachers who participated in the "long-distance consecration" Communion did or did not have their sins forgiven with the Body and Blood of Christ?

Those who responded, actually fall into two groups; those who believe the Lord's Supper is part of the Gospel and those who don't care.

We have received information that a number of teachers walked out of the service, including the entire faculty of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

We have reproduced the comments from those who opposed the "long distance consecration" followed by those who were in favor of the event. We have received many more reports than are published here. Basically, those who approve of the event speak about the real presence in the Lord's Supper as more of personal feeling than an event based on the text of the Bible.

According to the Bible, none of the teachers received the Body and Blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper at the LEA Convention.

The following comments are by those who opposed the "long distance consecration" at the LEA Convention.

An LCMS Pastor's Mother From Ohio Writes:

Tonight, I showed my mother a copy of the release about the LEA communion service.

My mom doesn't have a degree in theology yet she had this observation.

"I don't know, if Billy Graham can get 10's of thousands to come up to him at a crusade; then why couldn't those teachers come up for communion. What's the rush?"


A Minnesota Pastor Writes:

Dear Pastor Cascione,

I just received the Reclaim News item about the LEA convention and communion service. My wife (with whom, I believe, one of your daughters attended Bethany College) teaches 1st and 2nd grade at our day school. She and the other teachers from the school were in attendance at the LEA convention. Thursday afternoon I received a phone call from her -- she had just walked out of the service because of the very things mentioned in the Reclaim News article! She was fuming and quite beside herself. She couldn't believe what was happening at a supposedly Lutheran communion service. Eventually she calmed down and returned to the service (I had suggested she go back and write down the details for a complaint to the appropriate parties). Later that evening she saw some old friends and went up to say hello -- as she embraced them, she said 'Can you believe that crap they did in the communion service?' Unbeknownst to her, she was being filmed for the conference highlight tape -- I bet that bit ended up on the cutting room floor! Thanks for giving attention to just how far we have fallen from true Lutheranism in our church.


A Minnesota Lutheran Teacher Writes:

Dear Pastor Cascione,

Hurray and thanksgiving for your writings of this afternoon!!! My husband, just sent you an email in regards to the Reclaim News article he received. He also sent me a copy of it with the words, 'You are not alone.' I sure felt like I was that day.

I was appalled at the activities at the convocation. I was at the service for all except the part where I walked out steaming mad to call my husband.

There were other things during the service that were not mentioned in your article that you may find interesting. You may already be aware of them, as well, so I thank you for letting me vent them anyway. At the time of the lessons, a young, female teacher led us in a response reading from John 13:1-17. Following that, Dr. Gerry Coleman proceeded to wash her feet. As printed in our service folder: 'The people keep silence and are invited to reflect as they watch the enacting of the sign.' It was at this point that I stormed out. I could not sit there and watch this.

After phoning my husband, I returned just in time for the homily address. During Dr. Zehnder's (spelling from the 'program...not bulletin in my opinion) he said, '[Teachers] in the church have touched more lives in the church than anyone else.'

The offering was collected for 'an opportunity to support the ministry of Lutheran educators faced with special challenges as a result of the September 11th attack on America.' Dr. Coleman shared that they had already spent this money in belief of our coming contributions.

In my opinion, they made mockery of the Lord's Supper that day. Wine in goblets and wafers on dessert plates weren't the only items on our tables. There was also a flower, a butter dish awaiting butter, salt and peppershakers, and a sugar bowl with sugar cubes. Going with the 'elements can be consecrated from a distance' theory held by Dr. Coleman and the like who were leading this service, we were also privileged to eat these other consecrated items for our supper later that evening.

No mention at all was made to close communion. It was announced by Dr. Coleman that 'everyone who wishes to receive may have access' and 'if you don't wish to participate, please pass onto others so they may share in the body and blood of Christ.' Dr. Coleman used a quote from Martin Luther in the small catechism to justify this open free-for-all. (At least I believe that is who he was speaking about when he said, 'Dr. Luther.' He never clarified.) The items in quotes are that. I was taking very careful notes at this time.

The saddest thing that I can say about that day that even my friends who are conservative still participated in the invalid communion. I refused. I probably even made the people at my table feel uncomfortable. They should have felt that way. It was wrong and a sad statement of the mediocrity that we are willing to swallow.

Thank you again for your wonderful article and for whomever shared the event with you. I am grateful and relieved that I was not alone! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions in regards to the convocation. I would be happy to help.


A Lutheran Teacher writes:

How many 'commissioned ministers' walked out of this? Or have they already learned it's better not to attend LEA conventions?


Illinois Pastor Appalled by Luther Teachers' Communion Service

My school staff was present. Among them was a very fine young Baptist teacher. Our congregation, like many others, has been forced to hire a non-Lutheran due to the teacher shortage. I have explained to him why he may not commune in our church. He sat at the table with the rest of the staff (all of whom are women).

When it came time for communion he read the statement in the bulletin. He felt that with his baptist understanding he could agree with the statement. So he decided to receive the sacrament. The teachers on the staff did not know what to do. They said nothing and he received the sacrament. I do not hold at fault either our Baptist teacher nor the other teachers from our staff. They should not have been put in that position. None of them are called to decide who should be admitted to the Lord's Supper. None of them are called to administer the sacrament. They were forced to do both by people who either do not understand or reject the LCMS position on fellowship. I must now explain to this young teacher why at a national gathering of the commissioned ministers of the church he may commune but here at our church he may not.

When we ask people to decide for themselves who should commune you are always going to have these types of problems. It is at gatherings such as this that your public confession of faith as indicated by your church membership is so important. There is no way the pastor can know everyone who receives the sacrament in this situation, but the pastor is still responsible to administer the sacrament. There is great responsibility placed upon the pastor in doing so. People cannot be asked to decide for themselves if they should commune.

Very few people understand what we mean when we say "real presence" or any other formulation you may come up with. In communing only LCMS members the pastor may assume that the individual has made a faithful public profession of faith and that this is someone who is under the spiritual care of a called and ordained pastor.

To give up on the requirement that the PASTOR administrate the sacrament is to shirk a responsibility so momentous that it made Luther tremble when he first did it. May god forgive us when we toss about the body and blood of our Lord like we do the after dinner mints.


The following comments are from those who are in favor of 'long distance consecration'.

A Lutheran Teacher writes:

I am a Lutheran educator. I was not able to attend the opening service. I am saddened however, by the attack on the method in which the sacrament was offered. Yes, our Lord broke the bread and then offered it to the disciples. I don't believe that Scripture says that He broke each and every piece; just that He broke the bread. Do we attempt to imitate the way Jesus was baptized in our own congregations? Does not Christ recognize the fact that the wine and bread were a part of the Sacrament, even though they were spread throughout the room? We must be able to move forward in faith, instead of picking apart every activity of the LCMS. We condemn the Pharisees for their behavior; we must also seek to avoid similar attitudes in our Synod.


A District Executive Writes:

Dear Pastor Cascione,

I just want you to know that I constantly pray for you and for all of those in the LCMS who have chosen to be watchdogs for what you think is protecting 'pure' doctrine.' May the Holy Spirit lead you to back to the original reason for going into the ministry....spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ--crucified for our sins, and raised from the dead for our salvation. How much more effective we would all be in our ministry, if we would strive to be more Christ-like in our dealings with ALL of His people.

In the Powerful name of Jesus,
--------- District Education Executive


An LCMS Pastor Writes:

Please tell me you have better things to do than argue about that. There are people dying and going to Hell while you dispute these Pharisee ways of thinking.


In behalf of Reclaim News the following response is offered to the above replies:

Why do you separate the real presence in the Lord's Supper from the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ? One wonders if you wouldn't be more comfortable in the Baptist Church?


Rev. Jack Cascione is pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church (LCMS - MI) in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He has written numerous articles for Christian News and is the author of Reclaiming the Gospel in the LCMS: How to Keep Your Congregation Lutheran. He has also written a study on the Book of Revelation called In Search of the Biblical Order.
He can be reached by email at pastorcascione@juno.com.

April 25, 2002