1. Thursday, January 12th, 2016 Rev. Dr. Alfonso O. Espinosa
Divine Service Part 10
Thursday, January 12th, 2016
Rev. Dr. Alfonso O. Espinosa

2. Thus far for Part 3: Service of the Holy Supper
Preface
Proper Preface
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord’s Prayer

3. Sacrament of the Altar

4. Words of Institution
“The pastor speaks the Lord’s own words; these words give and bestow what they declare, the Body and Blood is the vehicle for peace. Showing them His wounds, the Risen Lord declared His peace to His disciples on Easter Evening. That same peace is given us with the Lord’s Body and Blood.”
-- Real Life Worship Reader, p. 86

5. Words of Institution
“23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” – 1st Corinthians 11:23-26

6. Note that it is the Matthean account that adds “for the forgiveness of sins”
“26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” – Matthew 26:26-28

7. The Sacrament Transmits Peace Since…
The Sacrament gives the forgiveness of sins.
This is one of the most important theological hallmarks of the Lutheran confession.
The Sacrament is a true means of grace and leads one to understand how and why we can (and do) say that our forgiveness was won at Calvary, and is distributed in the Divine Service!

8. Peace of the Lord
“By sharing the ‘peace of the Lord’ with each other, we lay aside all that stands in contradiction of the Lord’s testament.”
-- Real Life Worship Reader, pp
We live in forgiveness towards each other, because we have been forgiven. Note the order: Christian ethics established by the work of Christ towards us first.

9. Sometimes the order seems to go the other way
The Lord did teach: “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” – Mark 11:25
Luther explains in the Large Catechism: “If you forgive, you have this comfort and assurance, that you are forgiven in heaven. This is not because of your forgiving. For God forgives freely and without compulsion, out of pure grace, because He has so promised.” (LC III 95-96) That is as forgiven sinners we gladly forgive. Our forgiving is evidence that we are forgiven. Our forgiving indicates our continuation of faith in forgiveness.

10. This “Peace of the Lord” is called The Pax Domini
Just: “When the instituting Words of Jesus have ended, the pastor takes the bread and holds it over the cup and proclaims ‘the peace of the Lord be with you always.’ This is the peace first announced in our petitions in the Kyrie, the peace the angels declared at the birth of Christ in the Gloria in Excelsis, the new greeting of the people of God, because in Christ there is now peace on earth and peace in heaven. The peace announced now at the end of the Liturgy of the Lord’s Supper is focused in the bread and cup where, in eating the body of Christ and drinking His blood, His peace rests in us because He now dwells within us.” (Heaven On Earth, p 231)

11. This greeting is foreign to some in contemporary evangelicalism
It is sometimes taken as an insult, because it seems to insinuate that the one spoken to doesn’t know God’s peace or doesn’t know that they are already forgiven.
This is indicative of how contemporary evangelicalism does not see the “over and over again” nature of our need for receiving the means of grace…the constant bestowing of God’s peace!

12. Luther
“But immediately after the Lord’s Prayer shall be said, ‘The peace of the Lord,’ etc., which is, so to speak, a public absolution of the sins of the communicants, the true voice of the gospel announcing the remission of sins, and therefore the one and most worthy preparation for the Lord’s Table, if faith holds to these words as coming from the mouth of Christ Himself.” (Just, p. 232)

13. Agnus Dei
7th Century
St. John 1:29: “Behold the LAMB OF GOD who takes away the sin of the world.”
Real Life Worship Reader: “With the words of John the Baptist, the Agnus Dei confesses the mercy and peace that we receive from the Lamb of God in His Supper. We come to the Lord’s Table hungry and thirsty and He feeds us with His Body and refreshes us with His Blood. It is the Lord’s Supper. As Luther reminds us ‘Our Lord is at one and the same time chef, cook, butler, host, and food.’” (p. 87)

14. Think of the words “Agnus Dei”…in your own words why is this such a great song right before receiving the Sacrament?

15. Canticle AKA: “Post-Communion Canticle”
St. Luke 2:29-32: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

16. Post-Communion Canticle
Real Life Worship Reader: “Having received the Lord’s Body and Blood for our salvation, like Simeon who held in his arms the Savior of the world, we go in peace and joy singing Simeon’s Song…Another song of thanksgiving based on 1 Chronicles 16:8-10 may be used instead.” (p. 87)
1st Chronicles 16:8-10: “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him; sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!”

17. Collect A collect (thematic prayer) that gives thanks!
Real Life Worship Reader: “Before we leave the Lord’s Table, we give thanks, asking that the salutary gift of Jesus’ Body and Blood would have its way in our lives, strengthening us in faith toward God and fervent love toward one another. The Sacrament draws us outside of ourselves to live in Christ by faith and in the neighbor by love, to paraphrase Luther.” (p. 87)

18. Benediction
Real Life Worship Reader: “The Name of the Lord is the beginning and the end of the Divine Service. We are now marked with the Lord’s Name in the Benediction – that word of God’s Blessing from Numbers 6 in which He favors us with His grace and peace. With the Lord’s Name given us in Holy Baptism we were drawn together. Now with that same Name, He sends us back into the world, to the places of our various callings to live by the mercy we have received as living sacrifices to the praise of His glory and the good of our neighbor.” (p. 87)

19. Aaronic Benediction
Just: “‘The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.’ The people respond: ‘Amen.’ The final word of the liturgy is ‘peace’ – the peace that comes from Jesus who joins heaven and earth together in peace – one of the great themes of the Divine Service.” (pg. 236)