Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Run to the Lord's Table

From Luther's preface to the Small Catechism, which inexplicably is located in the back of the Catechism:
For a person not to prize highly the Sacrament is tantamount to saying that he has no sin, no flesh, no devil, no world, no death, no danger, no hell. That is to say, he believes in none of these although he is overwhelmed by them and is the devil’s possession twice over. On the other hand, he needs no grace, life, paradise, kingdom of heaven, Christ, God, or any good thing. Surely, if he recognized how much evil is in him and how much he needs all the good things he lacks, he would not neglect the Sacrament, which gives help against such evil and bestows so much goodness. He will not need to be forced by law to the Sacrament but will himself come running in a hurry to the Lord’s Table, constrained within himself and pressing you to give him the Sacrament.


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is most certainly a radically different understanding of communion compared to the "wide open communion" practiced by the followers of Calvin.

You mean communion is not merely a fellowship meal?!?!?

Scott Diekmann said...

It is a fellowship meal, fellowship with the very body and blood of our Lord!