Comments on: Holy Thursday

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 06 May 2009 19:31:17 +0000

We are made worthy to come. Not in our own merrit but because he has made us so. We are given or bestowed the righteousness of Christ. But praise his name for his Grace to us.

Jennifer

By: Christopher Esget

Christopher Esget — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:10:28 +0000

I addressed the issues raised in the comments above in my article for our parish newsletter. You can view it here if you like:
http://immanuelalexandria.blogspot.com/2009/05/my...

By: PrBobWaters

PrBobWaters — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:53:07 +0000

Precisely, Aaron. Unworthy in different senses of the term.

As Paul has it, there is unworthiness that is remedied by the Sacrament, and unworthiness that is lethal to those who receive it. No Lutheran- i.e., biblical- doctrine of the Supper can possibly confuse the two kinds and still remain either Lutheran or biblical.

Or as Bonhoeffer put it, "Cheap grace is merely another word for damnation."

By: Aaron

Aaron — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:34:43 +0000

So there are the worthy unworthy, and the unworthy unworthy.

By: Christopher Esget

Christopher Esget — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:05:34 +0000

I think the problem here is in how "unworthy" is being used. The question really is, is your worthiness in yourself (what Giertz is talking about), or is it in Christ (what Luther means when he speaks about worthiness consisting of faith).

So, no one dare approach thinking he is, in himself, worthy. One must approach in humility, repentance, and faith in Christ. Then he is worthy because Christ has declared him worthy, just as the unrighteous are righteous on account of their righteousness in Christ.

I like to use this little phrase: Our worthiness consists in recognizing our unworthiness.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:45:04 +0000

I thought it went beyond sharing a common confession, and included (pardon the curious contrast in verbs) excluding the unrepentant. If so, wouldn't the unrepentant be "unworthy"?

By: PrBobWaters

PrBobWaters — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:34:52 +0000

Because closed communion isn't about worthiness, Aaron. It's about whether or not we have a common confession- whether or not, when we "proclaim the Lord's death til He come," we are saying the same thing.

Or even whether we're talking about the same Lord.

Who are we to turn people away from the Sacrament? People who take the Gospel seriously enough to follow the apostolic practice of closed communion, rather than the recent American practice of sentimentalizing the truth of the Gospel away in order to make nice-nice.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:45:12 +0000

I was wondering if someone could argue, using Giertz's statement, in favor of "open" communion. Since "no one" is worthy, who are we to turn people away from the sacrament of the altar?

By: Mason Beecroft

Mason Beecroft — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:52:06 +0000

Exactly. Fine homily.
+Mason

By: Jen

Jen — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:28:27 +0000

Wonderful