Revealing what we believe about Holy Communion

For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves. (1 Cor 11:29)

There’s a hot debate among Lutherans about “online Holy Communion” or “dispersed Communion.” The idea is that a pastor presides from one location (even by recorded service) and individuals in their home use their own wine or grape juice and bread to receive communion. Proponents say this brings the confidence and comfort of Christ’s presence in an anxious time. Opponents say it violates the principles of the Word-made-flesh in the gathered in-person community, the single source of bread and wine (sing “One Bread, One Body” to get the point), and the agreement among global Lutherans to only celebrate the Eucharist when we are gathered in-person. For everyone, the moment is revealing what we believe about Holy Communion. I think it is a good opportunity to pause and think about it carefully.

The verse at the top of this article from 1 Corinthians is crucial in this discussion. It is taken to mean that an individual receiving communion must recognize that they are receiving truly Christ’s Body and Blood. It looks, smells, tastes, and feels like bread and wine—but by trusting Jesus’ words, it is simultaneously his Body and Blood. The idea is that if you don’t believe that you receive the true body of Christ with the bread, it isn’t Holy Communion. For Lutheran Christians, this is a central idea: the bread is the body of Christ, the wine is the blood of Christ because the recipient has trusted Christ’s promise, “this is my body, given for you” and “this is my blood shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.” The person who believes the promise has exactly what it says.

One can argue for “dispersed communion” rightly suggesting that the individual’s trust in the promise is crucial. Even when we are gathered in-person, if a person does not trust Jesus’ words, they are not receiving Christ and his benefits when they eat the bread and drink the wine. We don’t need to intellectually understand how it can be both bread and the Body of Christ at the same time. It is the trust in Christ’s promise that is essential.

However, Biblical scholars in Luther’s time and in our own have made a strong case that an individual’s trust isn’t exactly what Paul was talking about. Paul primarily means “body” to mean the “body of believers gathered,” as elsewhere in the letter (see 1 Cor 12:12). Some Christians are gathering to eat the Lord’s Supper before everyone has arrived and by the time the rest get there, it’s all gone (1 Cor 11:21-22). Paul says they are not “discerning the body,” that is, recognizing that it is in the gathering of diverse believers in-person that it is appropriate to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. The idea is that an individual, a family, or a group of friends does not reflect the “many” (Matt 26:28), that is, the diversity, of the Body of Christ (see 1 Cor 12:12-13). For this reason, we do not celebrate “private” Holy Communion, for example, a bride and groom to be the only ones to receive the sacrament at a wedding. If Holy Communion is to be celebrated, it must be available to all the baptized who are present or who desire to be present.

So, those who argue against “dispersed communion” rightly suggest that the “body” in 1 Cor 11 refers to the gathered body of believers who are united in Christ through baptism. “Body” does not mean an individual, family, or group united by anything else. To “discern the body” means to recognize the diverse body of believers gathered in-person as well as the agreement among believers around the world about how Holy Communion is practiced. An individual community like St. John’s can’t just decide for itself to change to “dispersed communion.” If we did that, we wouldn’t be discerning the larger body of believers around the world.

For this reason, we aren’t practicing “dispersed communion” at St. John’s even though we acknowledge that a few ELCA congregations are choosing to do so. After much discussion, the Lutheran World Federation eventually may conclude that we can “discern the body,” that is, the larger Church, gathered even online, but we aren’t there yet. To adopt it without agreement or to try to force others to follow along risks their trust in Christ’s promise, “This is my body given for you…my blood shed for you.” This faith is the first and most important issue for us as Lutheran Christians. So, we will restrain ourselves until there is true agreement.

              Take heart that you do not need Holy Communion to be united with Jesus or to have community with other believers. Baptism is the essential sacrament that unites us with Jesus and creates the Church. As Luther says in the Small Catechism, quoting Mark 16:16, “All who believe and are baptized will be saved.” We all need to be born to be alive; in the same way, we all need to be baptized to be born into God’s family (John 3:5). We renew that Baptism daily by dying to sin and rising to newness with Christ. We can fast from food for awhile and still live; in the same way, we go without Holy Communion and still be united with Christ.

               

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Peter