To Uphold Proper Elements and Reverential Administration of the Lord’s Supper

WHEREAS, Our Lord Jesus Christ with words and actions instituted His Holy Supper as a communal meal in the context of the Passover celebration through which His body and blood are distributed in, with, and under bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation (Matt. 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24; Luke 22:19–20; 1 Cor. 10:16–17; 1 Cor. 11:23–26); and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions (Formula of Concord [FC] Solid Declaration [SD] VII 86) indicate that the proper use of the Sacrament includes unified consecration, distribution, and reception; and

WHEREAS, The Lord’s Supper has been established by our Lord according to His Words of Institution commanding literally “This keep on doing” (Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24–25), which indicates that this use of the Sacrament should be kept according to His institution, and that “nothing is a sacrament without the appointed use” as set forth by those same Words of Institution (FC SD VII 73–74); and

WHEREAS, The Sacrament of the Altar serves to strengthen faith against all doubts (Augsburg Confession XIII) and is “given for a daily pasture and sustenance, that faith may refresh and strengthen itself so as not to fall back into doubt, but become ever stronger and stronger” (Large Catechism V 24) while it is incumbent on all faithful ministers of the Gospel to remove all obstacles that create doubt regarding what Christ offers in this Sacrament or detracts from it (1 Cor. 4:1– 2); and

WHEREAS, Concerns have been raised about the regular use of prefilled communion cup and wafer sets in corporate worship; and

WHEREAS, Concerns have been raised about the use of non-wheat hosts and/or grape juice; therefore be it

Resolved, That our pastors and congregations give careful consideration to the reverential treatment of the elements in the administration of the Lord’s Supper; and be it further

Resolved, That this convention reaffirms 2001 Resolution 3-16, “To Encourage Use of Only Wine in Administration of Lord’s Supper”; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Commission on Theology and Church Relations be instructed to take up these concerns