Why is it always around "communion chapel" at the college that people decided to discuss with me how wrong they think my view of communion is? Going to a Free Methodist affiliated school means that I am surrounded by praise and worship theology and fighting just to get a word in edgewise in any theological conversation. They are all so busy telling me I'm too close minded to realize the close mindedness of their arguments. Yes, I practice closed communion. Yes, I think that it is wrong to have open communion. And before I even have a chance to explain myself everything blows up in my face. "Well that's not fair to exclude people from communion. You are just exiling anyone who comes to your church and turning them away." How is this true? Am I telling visitors that they are not welcome? No! I am just telling them they cannot commune with us. Does anyone ask why? No, they are too busy condemning me to even hear my explanation because if they heard it, they might change their minds. Communion is one of the holy sacraments that the Lord Jesus Christ issued to use and practice faithfully. It is a serious and important time when communion is taken and should not be done lightly. That is why pastors in the Lutheran faith tell people that they are not allowed to communion unless they are of their congregation. They want to make sure someone knows what they are doing before just waltzing up to communion nonchalantly and taking it. "Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself." (1Cor. 11:27-29) So you see the seriousness of taking the Lord's Supper. It is there to give you forgiveness of sins and life everlasting through Jesus Christ, but taken in an unworthy fashion condemns the communer. The pastor of any church should be aware of this. So to prevent those who would condemn themselves before God, the Lutheran church has closed communion where an individual who is not a member of the congregation must talk with either an elder of the church or the pastor himself before communing. I hope that those who read this realize the importance and seriousness of the Lord's Supper. And maybe next time those looking from the outside in will think twice before condemning me.
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