 WELCOME! St. Paul writes regarding the Lord’s Supper: "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 10:14-22) These words remind us that to participate in the salutary gift of the Lord’s Supper is truly to participate in a "blest Communion" (LSB 617:3) – first and foremost, communion and fellowship with Christ. But this communion with Christ also results in another fellowship – a fellowship with those who commune at table with us. This is reflected in St. Paul’s words to the Corinthians: "Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread" (v.17). Finally, in this Holy Meal, we also have fellowship with the "whole company of heaven" as we learn in the Proper Preface of the Communion liturgy. Besides the chief spiritual benefits of "forgiveness, life, and salvation" (Small Catechism), recipients of this holy gift also enjoy the comfort of being surrounded by "so great a cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1), including those they love who have departed in the faith. TAGS: Service Announcements
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