As a congregation of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, we believe that in the Lord’s Supper (also called Communion, the Eucharist, or the Sacrament of the Altar), the body and blood of Jesus Christ are truly present in, with, and under the bread and the wine. Christ has given His Supper to the Church to give us forgiveness, life, and salvation. We, as humans, cannot understand how this mystery works, but we believe it because Jesus has said so (see especially Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). If you have questions concerning the “real presence” of Jesus in the Lord’s Supper, Pastor Freeman would truly like to discuss that with you. Feel free to call or come by to make an appointment with him.
But there is another aspect to this special meal. In the Divinely given meal of the Lord’s Supper, we are truly a part of a communion -not only with our Lord Jesus Christ- but also with other believers. This includes the believers present in church today, but it also includes all the saints who have come before us and who have shared in this meal. As we share in this communion, we are demonstrating that we are in agreement as to what the Lord’s Supper is -the very body and blood of Jesus Christ, in, with, and under the bread and the wine. Also, coming forward to our altar demonstrates that you share and confess a common faith and common beliefs. Again, if you have doubts or questions about this, please make an appointment with Pastor, who very much desires to discuss this with you.
Because of these things, we would ask those who are not confirmed members of a Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod congregation to speak to Pastor before coming forward to receive the Lord’s Supper at our altar.
At St. Paul’s we celebrate the Lord’s Supper on the first, third, and fifth Sundays of each month and the Saturdays that precede them.
