This is My Body

Pastor, what do Lutherans believe about the elements in communion?

This was very important to Luther.

The Catholic church of his day believed that the elements became the body and blood of Christ. They explained the transition with the notion of transubstantiation--an Aristotelian argument based on the attributes and substance of the wine and bread. Basically it said that the bread has attributes that make it bread, but the words of institution (The night our Lord Jesus was betrayed...) by the power of God transformed the substance of the elements. It still had its bread-iness and wine-iness, but it was body and blood.

Luther agreed that the wine and bread were the blood and body of Christ. But he prefered not to try and nail down how God works that miracle. Luther taught (and Lutherans still do in confirmation class) that Jesus is truly present in, with, and under the elements. In short it is a mystery that God gives us faith to accept.

Now, other reformers who broke away from the mother church after Luther was expelled from it, took the eucharist in a new direction. They insisted that the communion celebrated at worship was a reenactment of the Last Supper, and a memorial to Christ. (Do this in remembrance). The bread was bread and the wine was wine--and Jesus was present in the assembly.

Luther argued that two little Latin words (the bible had only been translated into German by Luther) "hoc est" were key to the right understanding of communion. "This is" my body...this is my blood" meant what they said. It's bread and wine, but t's body and blood--a mystery.

So what do Lutherans believe - in a nutshell?

It is personal - given "for you," shed for you.

It is corporate - all Christians of every time and place stands at the altar with us as we celebrate
the great high feast.

We receive forgiveness of sin, life and salvation through this gift.

We don't earn the gift, nor can we be worthy of it--we get it through grace.

Bread and wine are used but it is the promise of God attached to them that forgives

You are ready for communion if you have faith in the words "for you."

All the grace and promise of God is truly present in either one of the elements, and even simply in the words "For you!"