It is a curiosity that the offering and reception of Holy Communion among Australian Lutheran Communities in the last hundred years has undergone significant change.
It was not uncommon even one or two generations ago for a person to be offered communion only four times a year. These days weekly communion is not uncommon, and fortnightly communion is perhaps the norm.
Of course the application of a strict interpretation of the Augsburg Confession would have communion offered every Sunday, every Saint’s Day, and whenever the faithful ask for it.
The curiosity is that this teaching could fall so far from memory, and that the relative recovery of the frequent offering of communion could have the feel of novelty.
But there are bigger curiosities.
Consider Private Confession and Absolution.
Here’s a practice, based in the Gospel, that is promoted with vigor in the Lutheran Confessions. The Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles, the Large Catechism, and, to me, most significantly of all, the Small Catechism put Private Confession and Absolution front and center in the life of the Christian. Although Luther would not assert that anyone be forced to use this practice, his vehement denunciation of those who refuse to use it is startling.
Yet…go the length and breadth of the LCA, and see how many congregations will you find that publicly offer a regular time and place where Private Confession and Absolution is offered.
Or ask the average congregation member what they know about it, as it is taught in the Small Catechism.
Or consider how many people who regularly receive Holy Communion who have never used Private Confession and Absolution.
Curious.
My own opinion – and I have to tell you that I’m rather fond of my own opinions (and you are, after all, reading this on a voluntary basis – unless there’s something you’re not telling me) – is that the fact that there has been a resurgence in the offering of Holy Communion in the LCA with no concomitant resurgence in the offering of Private Confession and Absolution is a cause for pastoral concern.
In particular, I think a Christ-given opportunity for burdened and sin-addicted people to receive the great comfort and life-transforming power of the absolution spoken into the context of confession is being lost, and that the reception of communion is somehow subjectively diminished in its unifying power.
I sometimes wonder whether God lets people leave the LCA to go to churches with less than encouraging sacramental teaching and practice because the opportunity to experience personal accountability for, and freedom from, particular sins is denied them when the office of the keys is not personally applied.
5 comments:
Fraser,
a topic worthy of discussion -
- if the topic could be constrained to "Private confession & absolution".
Then we could talk about: Why the practice ('derived' from
the Office of Keys, and not a scriptual imperative ??(Smalcald Articles) has fallen out of common usage in many churches. (in my memory -50 yrs- it never has been 'commonplace')
However, to link it to HC, in a way
that I 'read' you have done, is somewhat disturbing. (for me)
I wonder what you meant by:
"..and that the reception of communion is somehow subjectively diminished in its unifying power."
This seems to be simply wrong:
"...because the opportunity to experience personal accountability for, and freedom from, particular sins is denied them when the office of the keys is not personally applied. "
Dear Floreat (or is it Mr Pica?),
Always glad to hear from you!
The talk I did is in the process of being put into a digital format, by the way. Think of the joy that you'll have in being able to watch me in colour! After all, I am a very handsome man, and a gifted orator; but you hardly need to be told that.
I put confession/absolution together because, in my opinion, they seem to belong together - and both together with baptism. At least that's how I read the Scriptures and the Confessions.
But I'll give you a practical reason why I hold my opinion.
Let's say we have a baptized person who has a problem with gossiping. The find themselves unable to break free from it, although they find it harming their relationship with others and God. My pastoral experience suggests to me that their specifically confessing such a sin in the context of absolution would give them a freedom that they probably would not subjectively experience otherwise. I think that such a person who used private confession and absolution and experienced the power of the word in this way would receive communion in a subjectively deeper way - they would have a subjectively deeper knowledge of what God's forgiveness means - of the power it has.
That's my opinion, at least. I base it not just on offering private confession as a pastor, but on receiving it myself. Luther seems to have had a similar experience and evaluation. My hunch would be that anyone who uses private confession and absolution with any regularity would likely come to a similar conclusion.
You wrote: This seems to be simply wrong:"...because the opportunity to experience personal accountability for, and freedom from, particular sins is denied them when the office of the keys is not personally applied. "
Maybe it is wrong. But it is a possibility that I put forward as a matter of opinion: maybe young Lutherans do leave the church for this very reason. Why do you think it's wrong?
And to end, this quote from Luther (from the exhortation included in the Large Catechism):
Thus confession is a wonderful, precious, and comforting thing. We urge
you not to despise such a precious blessing, especially when you consider
your great need for the forgiveness of sins offered through confession. So, if
you are a Christian, you do not need me to force you to go to confession, but
you will force yourself to go.
If you are a Christian, you should be glad to run more than a hundred miles
for confession, not under compulsion but rather coming and compelling your
pastor to offer it. For here the compulsion must be reversed; pastors must
come under the command and you must come in freedom. Pastors force no
one, but allow ourselves to be compelled, just as we are compelled to preach
and administer the sacrament.
Therefore, when I exhort you to go to confession, I am simply exhorting you
to be a Christian. For those who really want to be upright Christians and free
from their sins, and who want to have a joyful conscience, truly hunger and
thirst for confession and absolution already. They grasp the gospel just like a
hunted deer, burning with heat and thirst, drinks up water. Psalm 42 says, “As
a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.” That
is, just like a deer trembles with eagerness for a fresh spring, so I yearn and
tremble for God’s Word, for God’s absolution and for the sacrament.
So, you see, when confession is taught properly, such a desire and love for
it is aroused that people will come running after the pastor to get it.
Therefore, let us praise and thank God. Through a proper use of private
Confession and Absolution we have a great treasure from Christ. In
Confession Christ himself forgives us all our sins. AMEN.
Fraser,
"Mr Picca"? ..try Mr Piccy!
Disappointingly, I didn't write enough to clarify what I meant.
So I hope you were able to cut'n'paste Luther...!
I have no probs with the practice of Private Confession and Absolution. Been there (both Pastoral, and with a mate) and got good (God?) results.
But things remain:
This seems to be simply wrong:
"...because the opportunity to experience personal accountability for, and freedom from, particular sins is denied them when the office of the keys is not personally applied. "
How 'denied'?
I get this each time I go to church. The Pastor (Pretty Boy or not) actually has the incredible role of speaking 'as God' the statements of Confession AND Absolution. I'm certainly 'not denied' anything.
IF you want to (further) imply some sort of higher absolution in private confession, then expect dissention from this 'rank'!
( I have 'heard' you on potential benefits to the individual)
Your linking of PC&A directly
with Holy Communion bothers me. You
did not address this concern in your otherwise erudite and effacing reply.
How regular is PC&A at your Place?
Do you have time to do anything else? !!
Given that we have agreement on the
value of PC&A, why is it NOT 'common practice'?
(you put up your List, and your many and varied readership may be able to add to it.)
Dear Mr Piccy,
I wouldn't say say that it's a 'higher'
absolution - but it is different. I expect that you have found it different.
God delivers his forgiveness in different ways: the proclamation of the Gospel; baptism; absolution. God also delivers forgiveness in communion. I think that was never offered this gift of communion would be denied something. Something that Christ instituted.
As for linking private absolution with communion, well, it didn't start with me.
This is from the Apology to the Augsburg Confession:
Article XXIV (XII): Of the Mass.
At the outset we must again make the preliminary statement that we 1] do not abolish the Mass, but religiously maintain and defend it. For among us masses are celebrated every Lord's Day and on the other festivals, in which the Sacrament is offered to those who wish to use it, after they have been examined and absolved. And the usual public ceremonies are observed, the series of lessons, of prayers, vestments, and other like things.
I take it 'examined and absolved' is talking about private confession and absolution. If it is not, I'm happy to be corrected!
We have Private Confession and Absolution offered every saturday afternoon or by appointment.
But most of us would rather spend a week in hard labour rather than five minutes in private confession and absolution. Going into it is scary. It's coming out that's walking on air!
But why isn't it offered more regularly around Australia? That's a question I just can't answer.
I meant to say:
I think that someone who was never offered this gift of communion would be denied something. Something that Christ instituted.
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