communion question

Athanasias · Aug 28, 2015

What is the normative practice among orthodox traditional Lutherans in regard to giving out the precious blood at service? Or is there one? I ask this because at my store I have re-plated many gold and silver chalices for devout Lutheran ministers to use in Communion. In fact it seems to be the norm where I am at that Lutherans are very much like Catholics in this and use chalices. At least the Lutheran Churches(LCMS) I have helped and went too in my area do in general.

But yesterday was the first time ever that I had a Lutheran Church order those tiny plastic shot-glass looking communion cups that many baptist and non-denoms use. I thought or at least in my experience the normative practice for Lutherans was like that of Catholics and individual chalices were used for laity to commune in instead of tiny plastic shot glasses. It would seem more fitting for the gold or silver chalice then the plastic shot glass given the Lutheran belief in the real presence and the dignity of Christ the King.

So was this abnormal or is this more common then I know in traditional Lutheran circles? Mark if you know can you also help me here? Thanks.

God bless you all.

In Jesus through Mary,

Athanasais

Ashes of Eden · Aug 28, 2015

I'm LCMS. We use the little plastic cups. I'm not a fan of it. We take them off the tray ourselves; to me that is just asking for an accident. I would prefer that we used a common chalice.

Athanasias · Aug 28, 2015

Ashes of Eden said:
I'm LCMS. We use the little plastic cups. I'm not a fan of it. We take them off the tray ourselves; to me that is just asking for an accident. I would prefer that we used a common chalice.

Thanks for your honesty on this. I would have to agree with you 100%! God bless you!

Arcangl86 · Aug 28, 2015

I've seen a variety of ways in the ELCA. One thing that is becoming real common is the use of a common chalice, and then a separate pouring chalice to go into individual cups. I think part of it is that people are so paranoid about germs now they don't feel comfortable drinking from the common cup but still want to receive the Blood.

Aibrean · Aug 29, 2015

We have both. It's up to the communicant to decide what they want to use. They are offered the individual cups first and if they don't choose that, the pastor comes around with the chalice.

MarkRohfrietsch · Aug 29, 2015

Arcangl86 said:
I've seen a variety of ways in the ELCA. One thing that is becoming real common is the use of a common chalice, and then a separate pouring chalice to go into individual cups. I think part of it is that people are so paranoid about germs now they don't feel comfortable drinking from the common cup but still want to receive the Blood.

This is the biggest motivation; as unfounded as I believe it is.

Aibrean said:
We have both. It's up to the communicant to decide what they want to use. They are offered the individual cups first and if they don't choose that, the pastor comes around with the chalice.

Our Pastor hates them. Only about a third of our congregation uses them; probably half of those would refrain were it not offered in the individual cups.

The ones we use are glass, and afterwards, they are purified the same way that the Chalice is. We feel it is a blasphemy to discard plastic cups, along with traces of our Lord's blood remaining in them, into the garbage.

Athanasias · Aug 29, 2015

MarkRohfrietsch said:
This is the biggest motivation; as unfounded as I believe it is.

Our Pastor hates them. Only about a third of our congregation uses them; probably half of those would refrain were it not offered in the individual cups.

The ones we use are glass, and afterwards, they are purified the same way that the Chalice is. We feel it is a blasphemy to discard plastic cups, along with traces of our Lord's blood remaining in them, into the garbage.

Thanks Mark! This is the first time I have come across them from a Lutheran Church so I was curious. I guess most LCMS around just use the chalice.

MarkRohfrietsch · Aug 29, 2015

Athanasias said:
Thanks Mark! This is the first time I have come across them from a Lutheran Church so I was curious. I guess most LCMS around just use the chalice.

Sadly, no the do not; and as I stated above, it is to accommodate those who do not trust that for the faithful, the Eucharist can do only good. I have been a member of three Congregations; my birth parish throws out the used plastic ones; St. Matthew and St. Peter's both purified the little glass ones. St. Peter's, my present parish, accommodates us old school Lutherans (my Pastor is one himself) placing the host on our tongue, and sharing the blood of Christ from the chalice. An Elder (Lay Deacon) distributes the individual cups to those who desire. All are received kneeling at a rail, before an east facing altar (as it should be).

Athanasias · Aug 29, 2015

MarkRohfrietsch said:
Sadly, no the do not; and as I stated above, it is to accommodate those who do not trust that for the faithful, the Eucharist can do only good. I have been a member of three Congregations; my birth parish throws out the used plastic ones; St. Matthew and St. Peter's both purified the little glass ones. St. Peter's, my present parish, accommodates us old school Lutherans (my Pastor is one himself) placing the host on our tongue, and sharing the blood of Christ from the chalice. An Elder (Lay Deacon) distributes the individual cups to those who desire. All are received kneeling at a rail, before an east facing altar (as it should be).

I know I have had some people from Lutheran Altar guilds buy purificators for their chalices the same way we do. And have had many Lutheran pastors chalices re-plated so I never figured the Lutherans to use the plastic cups till last week.

Arcangl86 · Aug 29, 2015

MarkRohfrietsch said:
Sadly, no the do not; and as I stated above, it is to accommodate those who do not trust that for the faithful, the Eucharist can do only good. I have been a member of three Congregations; my birth parish throws out the used plastic ones; St. Matthew and St. Peter's both purified the little glass ones. St. Peter's, my present parish, accommodates us old school Lutherans (my Pastor is one himself) placing the host on our tongue, and sharing the blood of Christ from the chalice. An Elder (Lay Deacon) distributes the individual cups to those who desire. All are received kneeling at a rail, before an east facing altar (as it should be).

One parish I used to be part of used both a common chalice and individual cups, but the individual cups were metal, so almost like mini-chalices. But I really dislike the individual cups, because it completely misses the point of the common cup, and of course goes against scripture.

MarkRohfrietsch · Aug 29, 2015

Arcangl86 said:
One parish I used to be part of used both a common chalice and individual cups, but the individual cups were metal, so almost like mini-chalices. But I really dislike the individual cups, because it completely misses the point of the common cup, and of course goes against scripture.

It does indeed.

GracetotheHumble · Aug 31, 2015

Aibrean said:
We have both. It's up to the communicant to decide what they want to use. They are offered the individual cups first and if they don't choose that, the pastor comes around with the chalice.

We have the same program at my church.

GracetotheHumble · Aug 31, 2015

I prefer the individual cups so germs are not spread.

Athanasias · Aug 31, 2015

GracetotheHumble said:
I prefer the individual cups so germs are not spread.

Thanks for your honesty!

Tigger45 · Aug 31, 2015

GracetotheHumble said:
I prefer the individual cups so germs are not spread.

I used to feel the same as you until I realized the presiding priest finishes off the left over wine from the chalice after everyone else has taken a drink from it and they seem to do fine.

GracetotheHumble · Sep 1, 2015

Tigger45 said:
I used to feel the same as you until I realized the presiding priest finishes off the left over wine from the challis after everyone else has taken a drink from it and they seem to do fine.

Not to mention all of the sicknesses and colds that could be spread there are diseases like oral herpes.

Tigger45 · Sep 1, 2015

GracetotheHumble said:
Not to mention all of the sicknesses and colds that could be spread there are diseases like oral herpes.

So why then don't priest suffer from these conditions more than the average person who doesn't consume from a common chalice?

GracetotheHumble · Sep 1, 2015

Tigger45 said:
So why then don't priest suffer from these conditions more than the average person who doesn't consume from a common challis?

I'm not saying that it is positively going to happen but I think it is a possibility and I don't like taking chances. It's like playing Russian roulette.

MNKeith · Sep 1, 2015

Having helped distribute the Lord's Supper for years, you are fooling yourself thinking the individual cups are cleaner than the common. After seeing all the fumbling around in the distribution tray, plenty of fingers touch those cups.

I really dislike the plastic cups.... throw away mentality.

GracetotheHumble · Sep 1, 2015

Hopefully fingers only touch the outside of the cups and the workers wash their hands before distributing the cups.

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