Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 14, Number 42, DeMotte, Jasper County, 1 September 1944 — THE PASTOR’S COLUMN [ARTICLE]

THE PASTOR’S COLUMN

by REV. GEO. GOTSCH

Pastor of the St. John’s Lutheran Church of Union Township

The Sixth Chief Part of Luther’s Small Catechism treast of the Sacrament of the Altar, or the Lord’s Supper. There are three chief divisions in the Christian Church on earth, revolving around the words “This is my body,” “this is my blood.” The one division de dares that there is no body and blood of Christ present in the Sacrament, but that the bread and wine represent the body and blood of Christ; the other division declares that there is no more bread and wine present in the Sacrament but that the bread has been changed into the body of Christ and the wine into the blood of Christ; the third division maintains that in, with, and under the bread the communicant receives the true body of Christ and in, with, and under the wine the true blood of Christ As in all divisions, the Bible is the deciding factor. When Jesus says, “this is my body,” this i 3 my blood,” we take Him by His Word, though we cannot understand and explain how this is possible. Furthermore when Paul states, 1 Cor. 10:16, that the cup of blessing, the wine, has communion with the blood of Christ and the bread with the body of Christ, he asserts that both, wine and blood and bread and body of Christ are present in the Sacrament. Likewise, when he says, 1 Cor. 11:27, that the unworthy communicant is guilty of, sins against the body and blood of of Christ, he declares the presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament. It w r ou!d be impossible to be guilty of, to have sinned against, something which does not exist, or is not present. Therefore our catechism teaches, “ —the Sacrament of the Altar-—is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, for us Christians to eat and drink, instituted by Christ Himself.” Sunday School at 10:00, service at 10:45 a. m. A week from Sunday Hqjy Communion with preparatory service.