Luther on the rite of first communion

[Confess]

Here is something interesting that I found from the CTCS.

Luther was much more concerned with catechesis, the instruction of all Christians,
young and old, in the basics of the faith as detailed in his two catechisms. In
his two revisions of the Communion liturgy Luther stresses the need for Christians
to be instructed and examined in the faith before they are to commune. In Wittenberg
this instruction took place through weekday preaching in the city church.
Three times a year Luther preached through the six chief parts of the catechism.
Parents were responsible for bringing their children (and servants) to these catechism
services. Later, such instruction would also take place in day schools, under
the supervision of a schoolmaster. Once the parents were satisfied that their children
had learnt what was taught, they brought them to the pastor for examination,
Confession, and Absolution, after which the children were permitted to commune.
The Lutheran Church binds herself to this practice in the Augsburg Confession:
‘For among us masses [=the chief service of Holy Communion] are celebrated
every Lord’s Day and on the other festivals, in which the Sacrament is offered to
those who wish to use it, after they have been examined and absolved’ (AC
XXIV:1; cf. Ap XV:40-41; I Cor. 11:27-32). The Small Catechism asserts the corollary:
‘But those who are unwilling to learn it [the catechism] should be told that they
deny Christ and are no Christians, neither should they be admitted to the Sacrament’
(Preface 11).

Also....

The 16th-century Lutheran church orders are
reluctant to specify an age at which this should take place. When they do speak of
one, it ranges from 7 to 12 years old. Although an initial, minimal amount of catechesis
was required before ‘First Communion’, catechesis was understood to be a
life-long process. As Christians regularly conversed with their pastor in private Confession
and Absolution, he used the opportunity to continue examining their understanding
of the faith.

http://www.lutheran.co.uk/docs/CTSC_ConfirmationCatechesisFirst%20Communion.pdf

It is an interesting read.

[DaRev]

There is an interesting history concerning confirmation and first communion in the Church both before and after the Reformation. I read quite a bit about it for my presented paper.

[PreachersWife2004]

I will say this much...

I was talking to my husband about the way he does confirmation, because it is a little different from the way I grew up.

He's had a confirmation student now for almost four years. He started in fifth grade and is now in high school and has yet to be confirmed (or communed). Matt has repeatedly examined him and found him sorely lacking in knowledge in the Lutheran doctrine, although Matt has trained him for four years. Matt is not sure this boy will ever be confirmed or communed during his tenure here - that's how seriously Matt takes the examination.

At my church when I was confirmed, our examination consisted of two questions for each of us, and some of the kids were allowed "cheat sheets". For heaven's sake. What's funny is that the kids that were allowed the sheets are no longer members.

There is no magical age as to when communion or confirmation should be done, but I agree that study in the catechism should begin as early as possible. Now, granted, I don't read Luther's Small catechism to my 18 month old or my 8 month old, but they get bible stories and devotions that contain the principles of the small catechism.

My oldest son starts confirmation classes this year, I think. I can't remember now if Matt does a two year or a three year cycle. Come to think of it, I think he does a two year class. The one I went through was three years.

So many things vary.

Thanks for posting this information, Confess. I do appreciate it.

:hug:

[DaRev]

I do three years.
Normally the first and second years students are together. One year I will go through the Scriptures to study God's work of our redemption from Creation to the End Times (Genesis to Revelation). The next year we go through things like the Church year and seasons (Advent through Pentecost and the Time of the Church) discussing the Biblical emphasis of each. We go through the liturgy, learning what Worship is and about the ceremonial aspects and what each part means. We also look at the church building and worship space, and the different Christian symbols.
Third years students concentrate on the 6 Chief Parts of the Catechism in preparation for Confirmation and reception of the Lord's Supper. During all of this there is also an emphasis on fellowship and what it means to be a member of the Church and the congregation, and on service to the Church. One of the things I require is that all Confirmation students serve as acolytes and in other capacities within the congregation.

[PreachersWife2004]

That sounds a lot like the classes I took in confirmation.

Matt serves each student individually, mainly because our congregation is too small to organize a class. Plus the way schedules work and all, it's easier to schedule them separately. He does them at the house, too, so it really works better to only have one or two students at a time.

[Qoheleth]

The Church at worship is One Loaf; there is no stress or emphasis on individuals in the Eucharistic Community! The ecclesia is made up of many kernels, but when the members of The Body of Christ meet for worship, at least according to The New Testament and the witness of the Early Church, the individual becomes part of the whole.

The ecclesia knows of no individualism. The newly baptized, including infants (according even to the witness of the Protestant Reformers), "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayer" (Acts 2:42). ALL the Faithful, regardless of age, continued steadfastly in participating in The Sacrament of Love (Holy Communion)!

When we come to fully understand the Biblical presupposition that true worship is the means by which the Holy Spirit bestows His gifts, then we will also understand that no organization, even if it is named Church, has the right to tell children that they must wait until they can eat and drink "worthily" by the standards which that organization has itself created. Even though they [I]do not hear the word through which faith comes in the same way that older people do, they still hear it as little children do. The older people grasp it with their ears and their reason but often without faith; children, however, hear it through their ears without reason and with faith. And the less reason one has, the closer faith is.-- Dr. Martin Luther (WA 17II, 87)



Luther taught that even as the Sacrament of Holy Baptism is the means by which infants and older children are brought into The Body of Christ (The Church), even so it is the same Sacrament of Baptism by which The Holy Spirit prepares them for worthy reception of Our Lord's Sacred Body & Most Precious Blood (Holy Communion).
. . . When in I Cor. [11:28] Paul said that a man should examine himself, he spoke only of adults because he was speaking about those who were quarreling among themselves. However, he doesn't here forbid that the sacrament of the altar be given even to children.-- Luther, Table Talk #365; Luther’s Works, Vol. 54 [Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1967], p. 58




18] 8. We believe, teach, and confess also that there is only one kind of unworthy guests, namely, those who do not believe,(FC - Epitome VII)


Infants have faith through baptism by the Holy Spirit...correct



20] 10. We believe, teach, and confess that all the worthiness of the guests of this heavenly feast is and consists in the most holy obedience and perfect merit of Christ alone, which we appropriate to ourselves by true faith, and whereof [of the application of this merit] we are assured by the Sacrament, and not at all in our virtues or inward and outward preparations.


Freely given to even infants by The Holy Spirit in Baptism...yes?





The ability to discern The Lord's Body and Blood in the Holy Sacrament does not come from human reason, age, experience, education, or knowledge, but is rather [B]the work of The Holy Spirit Who, in our Baptism, worked faith in Jesus and spiritual recognition of Christ (having lifted the "veil" from our minds and enlightened our understanding). [I]. . . we reject and condemn as false, erroneous, and misleading . . . the teaching that even true believers, who have and keep a right, true, living faith, and yet lack the said sufficient preparation of their own, could . . . receive this Sacrament to condemnation.-- Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration VII




Q

[DaRev]

If you are in so much "agreement" with Luther, why did you defect into a heterodox church body? :scratch:

[Qoheleth]

If you are in so much "agreement" with Luther, why did you defect into a heterodox church body?


Simply presenting Lutheran evidence on the subjects.

LOL, I'm "Orthodox"...how can I be heterodox?


Q

[DaRev]

Simply presenting Lutheran evidence on the subjects.

LOL, I'm "Orthodox"...how can I be heterodox?

Eastern Orthodoxy is no more orthodox than Roman Catholicism is catholic.

[Qoheleth]

Eastern Orthodoxy is no more orthodox than Roman Catholicism is catholic.

ok

Pax


Q

[Luther073082]

I didn't even have a rite of first communion. My first communion basically went like

"What do I need to do to take commuion?"
"Agree with the confession of faith printed in the bulleton"

"Lets see, I belive in one God the father almighty creator of heaven and earth. . . Well I belive in one God, and it would be kind of silly to think that this one God had nothing to do with creation. . . ok check.

I belive in Jesus Christ his only son our Lord . . . But not like a physical son, but as a part of me a weird kind of son. . . check

He was conceived by the power holy spirit and born of the virgin Mary. . . I wonder how Joseph felt when Jesus stared talking about his "real dad" . . . Got it check.

He suffered under Pontious Pilate, I assume by under they mean "The authority of. . . " And not Pilate was standing above him. check

Was crucified, died, and was buried . . . Actually wasn't he put in a cave. . . well I guess you could say buried in a cave . . right??? weird. . . well check

He decended into Hell . . . to pronounce the good news to those who had already passed. . . Got it . . check

And on the third day he rose again YAY EASTER!!!! :clap: . . . check

He acended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the father. I'd say he deserves at least that much. Check

He will come again to judge the living and the dead. Oh crap. . . Thats really gonna suck if you don't belive in him. Check

I belive in the Holy Spirit Didn't I just say he was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirt. . . Yes Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirt doesn't really exist. :doh: . . . check

The Holy Catholic Church Notice no references to Rome. . . Yeah I got it,. . . check

The communion of saints . . . I'm part of something bigger then me. . . Check

The forgiveness of sins . . . You mean I don't actually have to roast in hell for beating up that nun? (Just kidding I have never actually assaulted a nun) Wahoo I'm off the hook!!! . . . check

The ressurection of the body . . . At least this time around I won't have to wear these stupid glasses . . . Check

And the life everlasting . . . Awww yeah!!:clap: :clap: . . . check

Amen . . . I belive everything above is the truth and that is why I have just said it. . . check

[ByzantineDixie]

I think the history of Holy Communion in the Church is facinating. DaRev, I am interested in some of the historical arguments you have to support "age of discretion" communion. The first record of infant communion follows only about 70 years after the first recorded mention of infant baptism--the evidence in the historical church for infant communion seems pretty strong to me. It was the legislation of the 4th Lateran Council in the West in 1215 that codified the expectation of withholding communion until the "age of discretion"...about 200 years after the schism and, roughly, only 300 years before Luther.

[Confess]

From what I can understand concerning infant communion is that parents who speak for the faith of their infant in Baptism also speak for the faith of their infant in the Lord's Supper.

Because the infant in Baptism cannot reply with "yes, I believe..." nor can they examine themselves as required in the Lord's Supper. The parents step in and speak for the child who was previously baptized having received the Holy Spirit. The thinking was that their soul is in no more jeopardy receiving the Holy Meal for they were not taking it without faith, nor were they taking it for selfish reasons.

But then you come to the point where the child grows older. I can't understand how a child who is 3 years old and decides that they would rather drop, play or reject the elements of the Meal would not be taking the consecrated elements to their harm.

It is a hard situation in that respect because the pastor would truly have to take extra precautions in matters like this, having a good relationship with the parents to be able to let them know that if the parents cannot control their child that he would have to stop communing their precious little one.

Yet ....

On the other hand, pastors rarely do this even with adults and teens whom they know should not be receiving the Lord's Supper as well.

Either way, I feel for the pastors.