1. Holy Communion The Medicine of Heaven 1

2. WORSHIP LHoly God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, Chave mercy and hear us. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen 2

3. Worship - 2 C. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the ◦Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen 3

4. Worship - 3 LShow us your mercy, O Lord, Cand grant us your salvation. LClothe your ministers with righteousness. CLet your people sing with joy. LGive peace, O Lord, in all the world; Cfor only in you can we live in safety. LLord, keep this nation under your care, Cand guide us in the way of justice and truth. LLet your way be known upon earth; Cyour saving health among all nations. LLet not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten, Cnor the hope of the poor be taken away. LCreate in us clean hearts, O God, Cand sustain us with your Holy Spirit. LThe Lord be with you. CAnd also with you. 4

5. Worship - 4 LWe give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have this day so graciously protected us. We beg you to forgive us all our sins and the wrong which we have done. By your great mercy defend us from all the perils and dangers of this night. Into your hands we commend our bodies and souls, and all that is ours. Let your holy angels have charge of us, that the wicked one have no power over us. CAmen LLet us bless the Lord. CThanks be to God. LThe + Lord bless us, defend us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. CAmen 5

6. Experience 6 Form pairs Make a list of everything you can remember about Holy Communion. Include ◦What it is ◦How it works ◦How it makes you feel ◦Why it is important to you ◦Share your list with the whole class.

7. Experience Go back in your pairs… Write a song about Holy Communion. Think about the following. ◦1. Baptismal renewal ◦2. At the cost of Jesus’ life ◦3. To forgive our sins ◦4. A new Exodus 7

8. Discussion & reflection: The Sacrament of the Altar: The Simple Way a Father Should Present it to His Household I. Q. What is the Sacrament of the Altar? A. It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under bread and wine for us Christians to eat and to drink, established by Christ Himself. II. Q. Where is that written? A. The holy apostles Matthew, Mark and Luke and St. Paul write this: Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the night on which He was betrayed, took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to His disciples and said: "Take! Eat! This is My body, which is given for you. Do this to remember Me!" In the same way He also took the cup after supper, gave thanks, gave it to them, and said: "Take and drink from it, all of you! This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you to forgive sins. This do, as often as you drink it, to remember Me!" 8

9. Discussion & reflection: III. Q. What good does this eating and drinking do? A. These words tell us: "Given for you" and "Shed for you to forgive sins." Namely, that the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are given to us through these words in the sacrament. Because, where sins are forgiven, there is life and salvation as well. IV. Q. How can physical eating and drinking do such great things? A. Of course, eating and drinking do not do these things. These words, written here, do them: "given for you" and "shed for you to forgive sins." These words, along with physical eating and drinking are the important part of the sacrament. Anyone who believes these words has what they say and what they record, namely, the forgiveness of sins. 9

10. Discussion & reflection: V. Q. Who, then, receives such a sacrament in a worthy way? A. Of course, fasting and other physical preparations are excellent disciplines for the body. But anyone who believes these words, "Given for you," and "Shed for you to forgive sins," is really worthy and well prepared. But whoever doubts or does not believe these words is not worthy and is unprepared, because the words, "for you" demand a heart that fully believes. 10

11. Discussion & reflection: Highlight: 1 Corinthians 11: 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. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. 11

12. Discussion & reflection: Martin Luther, 1526, Order of the German Mass, “Next, I urge you in Christ that with right faith you take heed to the Testament of Christ: and specially that you hold fast in your hearts the Word whereby Christ gives us His body and blood for forgiveness of sins; that you think of, and thank Him for, the infinite love which He has shown us that through His blood He has redeemed us from God's wrath, from sin, death, and hell. Then take outwardly the bread and wine, which is His body and blood, for an assurance and pledge.” 12

13. Discussion & reflection: Martin Luther, Large Catechism “8] Now, what is the Sacrament of the Altar? Answer: It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in and under the bread and wine which we Christians are commanded by the Word of Christ to eat and to drink. 9] And as we have said of Baptism that it is not simple water, so here also we say the Sacrament is bread and wine, but not mere bread and wine, such as are ordinarily served at the table, but bread and wine comprehended in, and connected with, the Word of God. 10] It is the Word (I say) which makes and distinguishes this Sacrament, so that it is not mere bread and wine, but is, and is called, the body and blood of Christ. For it is said: Accedat verbum ad elementum, et fit sacramentum. If the Word be joined to the element, it becomes a Sacrament. This saying of St. Augustine is so properly and so well put that he has scarcely said anything better. The Word must make a Sacrament of the element, else it remains a mere element. 11] Now, it is not the word or ordinance of a prince or emperor, but of the sublime Majesty, at whose feet all creatures should fall, and affirm it is as He says, and accept it with all reverence, fear, and humility. 12] With this Word you can strengthen your conscience and say: If a hundred thousand devils, together with all fanatics, should rush forward, crying, How can bread and wine be the body and blood of Christ? etc., I know that all spirits and scholars together are not as wise as is the Divine Majesty in His little finger. 13

14. Discussion & reflection: Highlight: Matthew 26: 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. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom." 14

15. Discussion & reflection: Issues in Holy Communion 1. Holy Communion is not the true body and blood (Reformed Tradition). 2. Anyone can take holy communion (antinomian Lutherans). 3. You can use pizza and coke if you want (some youth workers). 15

16. Discussion & reflection: 4. If you take it too often it will lose it’s meaning. John 6: 53 So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." 16

17. Reflection Time to write your reflection. What three things did you learn from this lesson? What seemed most important to you? 17