Why Does Pastor Commune Himself?

Why Does Pastor Commune Himself?

It is certainly a good question.  The Pastor’s self-communing may seem an odd or even a wrong practice if you have never seen it done, but his instructions are actually written plainly and clearly in the Pastor’s Altar book in the rubrics (instructions), “The Pastor and those who assist him receive the body and blood of Christ first, the presiding minister communing himself and his assistants. Then they distribute the body and blood to those who come to receive."  (p. 168) Your called pastor simply follows the rubrics as outlined for him in order to conduct the Divine Service in proper order.  This by far is the simplest answer.  It is a good practice, because it says a lot about what the pastor does as a servant of Christ. But a longer discussion is helpful here, for this is not some recent invention but it has a long historical practice.  For example, Luther is quite clear.  In Luther’s rubric from the Formula Missae, 1523 He writes, “Then, while the Agnus Dei is sung, let him [the pastor] communicate, first himself and then the people.” (AE 53.29) Luther’s Deutche Messe, 1526, makes no change in this order at all.

C.F.W. Walther, our first synod president, concurs:  "Walther considers the question of whether the preacher may commune himself. The consensus of Lutheran theologians is that he may not do so privately, apart from the congregation, which is the meaning of the Smalcald Articles II, 2. But he may commune himself in the public service, which was especially necessary in the nineteenth century America where many preachers were quite isolated and so would otherwise have to go without the Sacrament for a long time." (Pastoral Theology, p. 151)

Let us answer this from a completely different direction. Who preaches to the preacher after he preaches or pronounces the absolution to the Pastor after he has confessed his sins in the general confession?  No one.  The congregation rightly understands that he is among the audience to whom he preaches and absolves. Likewise, there is no need for anyone to commune the celebrant. He is among the people who receives the gifts of Christ. For recall what the pastor says in the absolution, “In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ.”  When the fallible pastor speaks the Word of God, you hear the infallible words of Jesus.  You are forgiven. 

               

Look at another example of the Pastor’s work.  Recall what happens right after the Words of Institution are proclaimed, the pastor then turns and speaks the Pax Domini.  What does he say?  The Peace of the Lord be with you always.  It is the pastor who speaks to you but it is Jesus that you hear, for you respond saying, NOT also with you, as you just did but moments ago, but instead with a robust Amen!  In the same way, the Pastor says, “the body of Christ given for you, the blood of Christ shed for you.”  It is not your pastor who presents you with the body and blood of Jesus; it is your Lord and Savior who uses your pastor as his mediator.  And so you respond “Amen.”  Even though the Pastor functions as Christ's representative, as His ambassador (2 Cor. 5:20), he does not identify himself as Christ. He is and must always remain one of the disciples for whose spiritual well-being this sacrament was instituted. As such he is asked to "take and eat" and "to drink of it." So then the Pastor should naturally first receive the body and blood of Christ, being absolved.  Then as Christ’s ambassador sent to God’s holy people, and now forgiven by God, he distributes this blessed gift. 

Some other thoughts here: what does Jesus tell his disciples as he prepares to send out the 72? “The one who hears you hears me,"  (Luke 10:16) and Paul says, “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” (1 Corinthians 4:1) The Lord’s Supper is the greatest of these mysteries we are sent out to proclaim and distribute.  When your pastor distributes this gift you hear the pastor's voice, by you really hear Jesus.  So likewise the pastor when he communes himself he also hears Jesus.  Or later in 1 Corinthians 10:18, “are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?”  Paul’s reminder to them is that they like the priests of the Old Testament are also participants in the altar, when the priest ate of the sacrifice with the one who offered it, no one feeds the priest, but the priest serves the one who brought the sacrifice.  Another example, Paul in Acts 20 is in the midst of worship service and we read, “And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while.” teaching us that he ate of the Lord’s Supper that he consecrated, from his own hand not from another’s. (Acts 20:11) Jesus breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:22-23)  Today, this forgiveness given is just as valid as if Jesus did it himself.  And the Lord’s Supper is certainly where we receive the joy of forgiveness, that your pastor distributes.  It is important that we understand as we read in Luke 10:16 and John 20:22-23 the pastor’s mouth and hand are an extension of Jesus’ mouth and hand, so the Pastor likewise receives the Lord’s Supper not from himself, but really and truly from Jesus’ own hand and mouth. This practice is a good reminder of the mystery and love of God to work to save both pastor and people.