Now He's here...now He isn't?

I was reading a blog tonight and struck by what she wrote. It's funny because I was listening to Issues, Etc. as Pastor Paul McCain was speaking on The Lord's Supper. I can really enjoy this woman's blog. I get all kins of neat ideas from her on homemaking, etc. But when she starts waxing theological, I just want to grit my teeth. I usually ignore her rants and scroll down, but when she writes something so blatantly wrong and I know that so many listen to her, I have to say something.

This is a taste of what she said:

There is something called "communion" which occurs in Christian churches, but the Bible is clear that communion is spiritual, not fleshly, and that it is done in remembrance of Christ, and that's it. Communion is not necessary for salvation in the least, and involves no pretended cannibalism or vampirism of any god. Communion is biblical. The Eucharist is not.


For someone who claims to read the Bible and enjoy learning from it, you'd think she'd do a much better paying attention, don't you?

For much more reliable quotes about the presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper:

19And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

20Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22: 19-20 KJV)

26And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

27And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

28For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26: 26-28 KJV)

22And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

23And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.

24And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. (Mark 14: 22-24)

23For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. (1 Corinthians 11: 23-25)

Being a Lutheran Christian I take the Bible literally. If Christ says that the bread and wine are His body and blood then they are. How? Not important. Do I have to understand how He does it to believe it? Of course not. I don't have to understand how He spoke the world into being, how He raised the dead and healed the deaf and blind. I don't have to understand how He turned water set aside for purification into top quality wine (although I'd love to learn that trick myself, considering where I live). I don't have have to understand how He did these things because He did them. I don't have to understand how He can be in the bread and wine that I eat...I just have to believe that He is.

As Pastor Wilken put it:

Jesus says, "This is my body… This is my blood." Now, on Judgment Day, if I am wrong in taking those words literally, and Jesus rebukes me, "Why did you misunderstand my Supper?" I will be able to answer, "Lord, I was simply taking you at your Word."

But if Jesus intended those words to be taken literally, and I have taken them figuratively, what will be my answer? All I could say would be, "I trusted my reason more than your words."

Say: "I would rather be rebuked for taking Jesus at His word, than for not doing so."