Open Table?

[Tomoz]

Can all christians recieve communion in the Lutheran church?

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

No.

I various from denomination to denomination, and even then from church to church.

I suppose in certain liberal wings of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) any Christian can receive communion. And then in the most conservative LCMS (Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod) and WELS (Wisconsen Evanelical Lutheran Synod), only members of the actual congregation can receive.

In general, though, I've found that Lutherans ask participants to be baptized Christians who confess the same doctrine of salvation (faith alone, grace alone) and the same doctrine of the real presence (that it is truly the body and blood of Christ).

[Studeclunker]

No. This varies with congregation and branch. For instance, an ELCA (Evangelical Luthern Church in America) is more likely to commune non-Lutherns than any other. WELS (Wisconsin Synod I don't know what the rest stands for) one of the least likely.

Most of the reason for this dates back almost five hundred years to the Conferrence of Marbury. There Martin Luther, Zwinglii, the Ana-Baptists and others gathered with this purpose in mind. Luther actually didn't want to go and had to be persuaded. The problem then and now lay in the definition of what the sacrament of communion is.

THIS IS MY BODY
What is the unlevened bread? Is it just bread that we take in memory of a departed leader, or is it really the body in and under the natural bread itself?

THIS IS MY BLOOD, SHED FOR YOU
What is in the wine? Is this just wine poured from a simple bottle into many little cups for distribution in the memory of a departed leader, or is it really the blood in and under the natural wine?

Because of these simple and unbridgeable differences, there can be no inter-communion between Luthern and most other denominations. This is not because of snobbery, inhospitality, or self-riteousness.

Believe it or not it's done in love.

Lutherans don't believe the same way as other denoms about communion, so to prevent another brother or sister Christian from taking Communion in sin, they are prevented (or protected) from doing so. The philosophy; better safe than sorry. Likewise, if a Lutheran doesn't take communion in your congregation, it also isn't a snub. Just the same thing in reverse.

[dinkime]

And then in the most conservative LCMS (Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod) and WELS (Wisconsen Evanelical Lutheran Synod), only members of the actual congregation can receive.

i have taken communion at congregations that i am not a member of, they are members of WELS, as am I, so i am able to partake...i know of no WELS church that would say no to another communicant member for a church in fellowship who wished to take communion -- it is never a different congregation no-no

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

i have taken communion at congregations that i am not a member of, they are members of WELS, as am I, so i am able to partake...i know of no WELS church that would say no to another communicant member for a church in fellowship who wished to take communion -- it is never a different congregation no-no

When I said 'most conservative,' I really did mean most. It's extremely rare, but I have heard of it happened from people who have actually experienced it in both the LCMS and WELS.

[dinkime]

When I said 'most conservative,' I really did mean most. It's extremely rare, but I have heard of it happened from people who have actually experienced it in both the LCMS and WELS.

it may have also happened because they did not go through the steps that most churches ask you to do -- if you are a visitor they ask that you talk with a pastor or elder, most likely they had an elder tell them "no" because they wanted to play big man instead of asking the right questions in the right way...

and if they have a pastor telling them "no" when they are in fellowship with the church, they need to bring this to the attention of others/their home pastor/etc so the false statements can be fixed -- oftimes the pastors may do things differently/incorrectly (like the numerous LCMS pastors that would allow anyone to commune, then when a new pastor comes people get upset because their methodist/elca/presbyterian/etc uncle was able to commune before and now they can't go the entire family changes churches because the FORMER pastor followed wrong teachings)

[LutherNut]

The official LCMS policy is Close(d) Communion. I don't get the (d).

Since communion is a public confession of faith and a proclamation of agreement in the Confession of the altar, those who are communicant members of an LCMS congregation or of a congregation in a Church body in altar/pulpit fellowship with the LCMS may commune. Those who are not communicant (confirmed) members of congregations in fellowship should refrain from communing until the pastor can examine them.
The main factor in communion fellowship is the belief in the words of Christ "This is My body given for you. This is My blood given and shed for you." We hold that Christ's actual body and blood is truly present in the Sacrament and is given to us to eat and drink. Those who do not believe this would be communing to their judgement as per 1 Corinthians 11.

The ELCA will commune anyone who is baptized, regardless of whether they believe in the Real Presence of Christ's body and blood or not. Their altar/pulpit fellowship with Reformed church bodies confirms this.

[dinkime]

The official LCMS policy is Close(d) Communion. I don't get the (d).



it is the official stance, but there are pastors who do not conform -- my neighbor's father was a member of an LCMS church his entire life, after his wife died he remarried a woman who was presb...she was able to commune at HIS church whenever she wanted to...then a new pastor came in and followed the official stance -- they did not like her being refused (it was one week she could, the next week no), and at 70+ he went to a presb church so he could commune with his wife....if the first pastor had been corrected in his teachings/actions there would not have been a problem since they could have dealt with it in an appropraite manner instead of a sudden change to the truth

[progressivegal]

At my church you could. It's an ELCA church (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and it specifically says in our handouts that anyone present may partake in communion if they wish.

[seajoy]

At my church you could. It's an ELCA church (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and it specifically says in our handouts that anyone present may partake in communion if they wish.
anyone? what if they don't even know why they are partaking?

[synger]

The official LCMS policy is Close(d) Communion. I don't get the (d).

When I asked my Pastor about it (since we are not Lutherans yet, we wanted to understand more clearly), he explained that the actual term is Close Communion, from a mistranslation in an early Lutheran dogmatics book by a really famous Lutheran theologian (whose name I don't remember). You'll find it listed that way in the LCMS FAQs (http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=422).

But because many people use the term Closed Communion to mean basically the same thing, LCMS information often has it as "Close(d)". I know the pamphlet that Pastor used when we went through it together was spelled that way.

[synger]

it is the official stance, but there are pastors who do not conform -- my neighbor's father was a member of an LCMS church his entire life, after his wife died he remarried a woman who was presb...she was able to commune at HIS church whenever she wanted to...then a new pastor came in and followed the official stance -- they did not like her being refused (it was one week she could, the next week no), and at 70+ he went to a presb church so he could commune with his wife....if the first pastor had been corrected in his teachings/actions there would not have been a problem since they could have dealt with it in an appropraite manner instead of a sudden change to the truth

From my understanding, and the experience we've had at the LCMS church we attend, their practice of close communion does not necessarily exclude non-members of the congregation.

The official position of the Synod is that not only are members of other Lutheran churches with whom we are in altar and pulpit fellowship invited to commune with us, but also that in certain extraordinary cases of pastoral care and in emergencies members of churches not in fellowship with us may be given Communion.

I think it is more a matter of "extraordinary cases of pastoral care" in our case. We believe and confess the Lutheran understanding of the Eucharist, so Pastor allows us to partake. If we had a new Pastor, I would expect to offer myself to his examination and authority before presuming to come to the table. If he said no, it would be a sore disappointment, but I would understand his position. Eucharist is not to be taken lightly.

[progressivegal]

anyone? what if they don't even know why they are partaking?
I guess, I don't really know. I know at my previous church (Christian Reformed) Anyone was "allowed" (for lack of a better word to take communion). It was just assumed if you where there you did, but I know my cousin felt uncomfortable with it when she visited because she felt she was being disrespectful and did not have a full understanding of it, so the next time she chose not to partake. I find that most people who don't know what they're going to be partaking generally choose not to unless they feel pressured to. I've never been to a church that had open communion where they quizzed you on your beliefs before allowing you to partake, so really anyone regardless of beliefs could partake if they wanted too, whether the church stated "all christians" or "all people" or whatever. I wouldn't think that a person would chose to partake of something they didn't understand or believe in, unless like I said, they felt pressured.

[CaliforniaJosiah]

No.

I various from denomination to denomination, and even then from church to church.

In general, though, I've found that Lutherans ask participants to be baptized Christians who confess the same doctrine of salvation (faith alone, grace alone) and the same doctrine of the real presence (that it is truly the body and blood of Christ).


My limited experience is the same...

I've always made a policy (for which I've been strongly rebuked in this forum - but I hold to it nonetheless) that I ALWAYS speak directly to the officiating pastor of the church BEFORE the worship service - hopefully days before. I let him know of my baptism, my desire to be so blessed, my basis beliefs, and my desire to respect the policies of that congregation. And then I invite his questions - and answer them as honestly and fully as I can. If he invites me to the Altar, I accept (with joy). If he declines, I respect that and am not offended (although I may choose to worship elsewhere). Asking an usher, someone in the pew next to you, the friend who brought you - may be inadequate and not accurate (nor are they the officient). The blurb in the worship folder or on the card (if it exists at all) is often very insuffient.

And yes, REGARDLESS of Lutheran denomination, this all varies, quite a lot, from one congregation to another.


My $0.005


Pax!


- Josiah



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[C.F.W. Walther]

I've been attending an ELS church in the last few months and they don't not have alter fellowship with LCMS. I asked the pastor if I could take communion and he refused. I respect the wished of the church and don't hold it against them. I still think I will search out their denom since I am dissheartened with the LCMS.