The Location of Forgiveness

Wednesday, January 27th 2021

A Word From Our Pastor

In our consideration of Confession and Absolution, last week I emphasized our ongoing need for confession and knowing where we can find the gift of forgiveness. I want to pick up this week why it is so important to know where we can receive forgiveness.

Someone will ask, Can’t we receive the Lord’s forgiveness anywhere? And in one sense, if you are merely referring to physical location, the answer is affirmative. But if in addition to physical location you are also wondering under what conditions you might be assured of receiving the Lord’s forgiveness, the answer changes.

First, we might consider how we even come to know of the Lord’s forgiveness. And the answer is that surely we know of it through His Word! That is, the Lord Himself reveals this wonderful promise to us. We don’t just dream up a god who is forgiving and wants to forgive us. For all we know, the creator and underlying reality of all that exists might not be well disposed to us at all! How do we know otherwise? We know through His Word!

Then this being the case, we also know the circumstance and occasion for receiving forgiveness. It involves His Word! And in the Scripture we learn this Word is not only meant to be read, but spoken and heard. And we know that the Lord appoints leaders in His assemblage to minister His word. He promises His Holy Spirit to empower such service. And He even deigns to calls such servants His ambassadors.

We should not be quick to dismiss physical locality. When believers assemble they gather in some particular location. When they do so they gather to receive the service of God’s Word. And the chief thing God serves us with pertains to our greatest need, namely forgiveness. And furthermore, His Word is empowered and is embodied in His Sacraments. And an appointed ambassador speaks, on God’s authority, for He is appointed an ambassador, to speak the promise of forgiveness on God’s behalf.

Since You Asked…

Why Is the Pastor Using cruets to both fill the Communion Chalice and then to cleanse it afterward?

You may have noticed the Pastor using a little water from a cruet poured into the chalice, swirled around to mix with the remaining drops of wine, and consumed by the Pastor at the conclusion of administering Holy Communion. This is one way to reverently handle the remaining communion element of the cup. And there is a practical benefit. The longer wine sits in precious metal vessels, the more it begins pitting the surface. By adding wine when needed to the chalice, and then consuming soon after the slight remains with a little water, the metal is preserved.

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