With the passing of summer into fall, we return to a more regular schedule of worship and activities. Lately, I've been hearing comments about the possibility of offering the Sacrament of Holy Communion on a weekly basis. (At present, we offer it on the first and third Sundays of the month.) Certainly, neither the Bible nor the Lutheran Confessions prescribes any set schedule for celebrating the Lord's Supper. And yet, Luther writes in his Large Catechism that "true Christians who cherish and honor the sacrament should of their own accord urge and constrain themselves to go."
St. Paul writes, in I Cor. 11:25, concerning the Words of Institution: "In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'"

For quite a few years now, going back to the 1960s, our Lutheran church-wide body has encouraged local congregations to offer more frequent opportunities to receive the Sacrament. In truth, Sunday worship is really not complete unless it is a service of both Word and Sacrament. Historically, we in America have avoided weekly Communion only because, in a frontier environment, it was impossible to have an ordained pastor consecrate the elements on a weekly basis.

My suggestion for our congregation is that we study the issue of weekly Communion this fall, under the leadership of our Worship and Music Committee and, if appropriate, offer some recommendations at our annual congregational meeting in early February. Let's all remember that the Sacrament of Holy Communion is a wonderful gift of God's grace and forgiveness. It's something we "get" to do, not something we "have" to do.

Your pastor and friend,

The Rev. Carl W. Filer

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