Myths about Holy Communion: Worthiness

Originally published in Tidings, Immanuel's parish newsletter.

Myths about Holy Communion: Worthiness

Note: This month's "From the Pastor" article continues an occasional series, "Myths about ...". The series will address common misconceptions about Holy Scripture, church doctrine, the liturgy, the Missouri Synod, etc. If you have an idea for the series, or any other topic you would like to see addressed, send your questions to askthepastor@immanuelalexandria.org and you may see a response in a future issue of Tidings!

On Holy Thursday, I began my sermon with a quotation from the great Swedish Bishop, Bo Giertz: “There are no worthy guests at the Lord’s table. None has deserved to come.” That quotation generated a few questions about how it squares with what the Small Catechism says on worthiness:

Who receives this Sacrament worthily?
Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: "Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins." But anyone who does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared, for the words "for you" require all hearts to believe.

On the surface, it appears there is a contradiction. The Giertz quotation says there are no worthy communicants; the Small Catechism says the worthy communicant is the one who has faith in the words of Jesus. But there is no contradiction. Both are making the same point: worthiness is not in ourselves, but in Christ. The late Donald Deffner, a seminary professor in the Missouri Synod, put it this way: "To be 'worthy and well prepared' doesn't mean attaining a certain level of goodness, but rather examining oneself and seeing one's utter need for Christ."

To say that none of us deserves to come to the Lord's Table is true. We are sinners through and through. We are beggars, poor, miserable, worthless. No one has the right to approach. Not the pastor, or church president, or head elder, or most-generous giver, or the member with the most seniority. It's not our church, but the Lord's Church. And so we approach as invited guests, not worthy to come on our own, but finding all our worthiness in Christ.

This means we approach as penitents. Our approach is with faith in the words, "Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins." And so we go the altar as sinners looking for forgiveness. I like to put it this way: Worthiness consists of seeing our unworthiness.

When we see our own unworthiness, and thus how much we need the righteousness and life that Christ is and gives in the Sacrament, we will have a deep hunger and thirst for the Sacrament. It becomes the center of our life, and we learn to pray that great Eucharistic Prayer: "To Thee [O Christ] will we live, to Thee will we die, and Thine shall we be forever."

Your unworthy shepherd,
+Pastor Esget