Communion

redleghunter

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I am traditionally Eastern Orthodox and married to a traditionally non-Orthodox (Uniting). Recently we attended a Lutheran church, and without thinking, I undertook their communion service. I've since realised my mistake. What are my options, what should I do?
Which type of Lutheran Church? I have been to LCMS services and they make it clear that to take communion you must be LCMS.

I ask which type as there is a difference:

 
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I am traditionally Eastern Orthodox and married to a traditionally non-Orthodox (Uniting). Recently we attended a Lutheran church, and without thinking, I undertook their communion service. I've since realised my mistake. What are my options, what should I do?
The Lord's supper (Eucharist, Communion - all the same), is not denomination-specific. It is the Lord's supper, to remember the Lord's death until He comes. If you took communion for that reason and your heart was in it, you did not make a mistake at all. If someone had blocked you from it because you did not belong to the Lutheran church, then the mistake is theirs, not yours.

I know that non-Catholics are not invited to take the Eucharist in a Catholic church, which makes me think that it is not the Lord's supper as such, but a specifically Catholic Eucharist and therefore does not reflect the death of Christ at all, but a ceremony that shows that one is a faithful and good Catholic.

So I think that you should rest easy and praise the Lord that you had another opportunity to remember that Jesus died for you on the cross.
 
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Which type of Lutheran Church? I have been to LCMS services and they make it clear that to take communion you must be LCMS.

I ask which type as there is a difference:

No particular church denomination has the right to claim exclusive rights to the Eucharist for their own members and not for visitors. I believe that God would see no value in it at all and instead of being something that He would take pleasure in, it would be just a stink in His nostrils, being just a dead ceremony, meaning nothing to Him except a useless, formal ceremony.
 
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redleghunter

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No particular church denomination has the right to claim exclusive rights to the Eucharist for their own members and not for visitors. I believe that God would see no value in it at all and instead of being something that He would take pleasure in, it would be just a stink in His nostrils, being just a dead ceremony, meaning nothing to Him except a useless, formal ceremony.
Good evening brother. I’m sure you meant visitors who are baptized Christians?
 
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redleghunter

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The Lord's supper (Eucharist, Communion - all the same), is not denomination-specific. It is the Lord's supper, to remember the Lord's death until He comes. If you took communion for that reason and your heart was in it, you did not make a mistake at all. If someone had blocked you from it because you did not belong to the Lutheran church, then the mistake is theirs, not yours.

I know that non-Catholics are not invited to take the Eucharist in a Catholic church, which makes me think that it is not the Lord's supper as such, but a specifically Catholic Eucharist and therefore does not reflect the death of Christ at all, but a ceremony that shows that one is a faithful and good Catholic.

So I think that you should rest easy and praise the Lord that you had another opportunity to remember that Jesus died for you on the cross.
Interesting as the Roman Catholic Church will allow Eastern Orthodox Church members to take communion, But Eastern Orthodox will not allow Roman Catholics to take communion in their churches.
 
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Righthander

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Which type of Lutheran Church? I have been to LCMS services and they make it clear that to take communion you must be LCMS.

I ask which type as there is a difference:

Living Water, which I believe is a breakaway group from the Lutheran.
 
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Good evening brother. I’m sure you meant visitors who are baptized Christians?
They would have to be committed Christians, preferably baptised but not necessarily so. But a church that blocks communion for those who have not been infant baptised in its denomination would be grieving the Holy Spirit and insulting the Lord who died for us on the cross.
 
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Interesting as the Roman Catholic Church will allow Eastern Orthodox Church members to take communion, But Eastern Orthodox will not allow Roman Catholics to take communion in their churches.
It all sounds like church politics and party spirit to me. Paul said about the Corinthians that because of their party spirit they were just baby Christians who could take just milk and have no real maturity in the faith.
 
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Emmylouwho

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I am traditionally Eastern Orthodox and married to a traditionally non-Orthodox (Uniting). Recently we attended a Lutheran church, and without thinking, I undertook their communion service. I've since realised my mistake. What are my options, what should I do?
Righthander, what are the consequences if you do nothing about it?
 
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Carl Emerson

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The Lord’s Supper

23For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25In 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.” 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

27Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

33So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.

So the only condition is self examination with His help.

The consequences of failing to do this can be severe.

Any other requirement is adding to scripture.

In His freedom you will commune with all believers without consequence.
 
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JIMINZ

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I am traditionally Eastern Orthodox and married to a traditionally non-Orthodox (Uniting). Recently we attended a Lutheran church, and without thinking, I undertook their communion service. I've since realised my mistake. What are my options, what should I do?

As far as I see it, you are a Child of God an adopted Brother of Jesus, that qualifies you to partake of the Communion of Saints, because you are a Saint.

You will not lose anything, especially your Salvation.

Is you wife Lutheran, when it comes right down to it, Scripture says.

1Cor. 7:14
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
 
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Daniel9v9

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I can't speak for the Eastern Orthodox church, but I can appreciate that this is a very thorny subject as the Eucharist is an article of faith that the whole of Christendom is regrettably extremely divided over; even within church bodies. This should not be, but because of sin and false doctrine, we are where we are.

What I can say, however, is:

1. The Lutheran Church confesses to be catholic and apostolic. However, the Eastern Orthodox and Lutheran understanding of apostolicity is different, and this has bearing on the Eucharist, as the Eastern Orthodox church may view the Lutheran priest as not apostolic and therefore the Eucharist as invalid. Needless to say, the Lutheran Church disagrees. As a side note, I can mention that some Lutheran bodies (such as in Scandinavia) do hold to an apostolicity similar to Eastern Orthodox, Roman, and the Anglican Church. However, I don't know about the church you attended.

2. The orthodox Lutheran teaching on the Eucharist is that it's a means of grace, the true body and the true blood of Christ; the Real Presence. We believe it to be a holy mystery and it's expressed as the Sacramental Union. On this point, the Lutheran Church can't be considered "Protestant" in the modern sense of the word.

3. When it comes to who gets to participate and who are kept from participation, the orthodox Lutheran understanding is, in short, all that believe in God's promise in the Eucharist are welcome, but all who disbelieve or deny it are kept, lest they be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. This is why orthodox Lutheranism don't practice open communion. However, the fact that the Lutheran Church you attended welcomed you to attend does make me think it's perhaps a bit more doctrinally liberal and maybe a step closer to the Reformed churches.

In conclusion, if there's any consolation, the orthodox Lutheran teaching on the Eucharist is that it is truly Christ's body and blood given for you.

Blessings +
 
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Tolworth John

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I am traditionally Eastern Orthodox and married to a traditionally non-Orthodox (Uniting). Recently we attended a Lutheran church, and without thinking, I undertook their communion service. I've since realised my mistake. What are my options, what should I do?

To be blunt if taking communion in another church damms you then attendance in another church service is equally damming.

The differences between Christian demoninations are all man made differences.

As Jesus told the Samaritan women, 'We are to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth.'
 
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I am traditionally Eastern Orthodox and married to a traditionally non-Orthodox (Uniting). Recently we attended a Lutheran church, and without thinking, I undertook their communion service. I've since realised my mistake. What are my options, what should I do?
I recommend posting in The Ancient Way, the Orthodox forum. :)
 
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