LCMS member and taking communion at other churches?

[Mikeseven]

Theologically, I align most with the LCMS when it comes to the Eucharist. I have friends in other churches and enjoy visiting them—I value being ecumenical.

Sometimes when I visit, those churches offer the Eucharist. Many are somewhat Reformed and believe in the spiritual presence, but they don’t have strict guidelines—people can take it with different personal beliefs.

If I join the LCMS, is it still okay for me to receive the Eucharist in those churches when visiting? Or would that go against LCMS teaching?

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

Theologically, I align most with the LCMS when it comes to the Eucharist. I have friends in other churches and enjoy visiting them—I value being ecumenical.

Sometimes when I visit, those churches offer the Eucharist. Many are somewhat Reformed and believe in the spiritual presence, but they don’t have strict guidelines—people can take it with different personal beliefs.

If I join the LCMS, is it still okay for me to receive the Eucharist in those churches when visiting? Or would that go against LCMS teaching?

No, not OK. If you hold to the real presence and they do not, you are aligning yourself with their beliefs and endorsing them as OK, and would be supporting them and participating in "eating and drinking judgement upon themselves" as scripture mentions. The sacraments are an all or nothing deal.

Likewise, it would be a mockery of what Scripture teaches and we believe, the communion is not jus us getting something from Jesus through the Pastor, it is the whole Church transcending time and space in heavenly worship and communion with our Lord and God Jesus Christ, and all the "Angels and Arch Angels and all of the company of Heaven" including all the saints, martyrs, fathers and doctors of the Church and all of the faithful believers who preceded the incarnation of Christ.

Also, false ecumenism is not ecumenism.

Sorry for the rant, but I feel very strongly about this.

 

[chevyontheriver]

No, not OK. If you hold to the real presence and they do not, you are aligning yourself with their beliefs and endorsing them as OK, and would be supporting them and participating in "eating and drinking judgement upon themselves" as scripture mentions. The sacraments are an all or nothing deal.

Likewise, it would be a mockery of what Scripture teaches and we believe, the communion is not jus us getting something from Jesus through the Pastor, it is the whole Church transcending time and space in heavenly worship and communion with our Lord and God Jesus Christ, and all the "Angels and Arch Angels and all of the company of Heaven" including all the saints, martyrs, fathers and doctors of the Church and all of the faithful believers who preceded the incarnation of Christ.

Also, false ecumenism is not ecumenism.

Sorry for the rant, but I feel very strongly about this.

So could he receive communion at WELS or from the Orthodox or the Catholics who do believe in the Real Presence? I don’t think WELS and LCMS are even in communion. Just asking.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

So could he receive communion at WELS or from the Orthodox or the Catholics who do believe in the Real Presence? I don’t think WELS and LCMS are even in communion. Just asking.

No, only those Churches in full Altar and Pulpit fellowship with the LCMS. WELS would not admit him knowingly to the Sacrament in their Church; nor would the RCC, the EO or the OO Churches.

 

[RileyG]

So could he receive communion at WELS or from the Orthodox or the Catholics who do believe in the Real Presence? I don’t think WELS and LCMS are even in communion. Just asking.

I think there is only one WELS member here. I’m not sure if she switched to LCMS.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

I think there is only one WELS member here. I’m not sure if she switched to LCMS.

We used to have more.

 

[chevyontheriver]

No, only those Churches in full Altar and Pulpit fellowship with the LCMS. WELS would not admit him knowingly to the Sacrament in their Church; nor would the RCC, the EO or the OO Churches.

I get that. Even among claimants for 'Real Presence', which I think WELS does claim, there are exclusions. So it's not just an issue of the Real Presence or not.

Catholic policy will admit Orthodox to the Eucharist, yet not Lutherans. There were calls for opening that back with the Lutheran-Catholic dialogues, but things went very far south on that as the Lutheran participants had a wilder agenda to pursue and the Catholic side in the dialogues was not going there. I always thought Catholics should have been trying to dialogue with LCMS (and if possible WELS) but that didn't happen. Maybe some day.

 

[chevyontheriver]

We used to have more.

My real life experiences with WELS and LCMS have been positive.

By the way, going out sailing this afternoon.