Is live feed just as good as gathering? Does a shut in need the pastor, or can they just see him on screen? When answering that question, it becomes a question of what do you believe and practice?
We believe God comes to us in person. Not as some inner voice but rather from outside of us in Word and Sacrament, and in the "in the stead" and "by the command" of the Office of the Ministry. This is the confessional Lutheran faith practiced for generations.
We believe that God delivers these sacramental gifts (from Him to us), through the hands of men (pastors) as His instruments, placed into the Office of the Holy Ministry, by Divine call and the rite of vocation (ordination).
We believe the Divine call and ordination of these men is done through His visible church on earth known as congregations. Being “Church” is being members of His body by faith in Jesus Christ – no matter which Christian denomination or sect. Being a congregation is when His Church gathers (congregate). True faith in Christ (what the congregation believes) can be seen by what it teaches.
We believe therefore, that these men (pastors) are called to serve as under shepherds of Christ in service to the congregation - in order to provide the Divine gifts of Word and Sacrament, in the stead (standing in His place) and by His command (He authorized it and instituted it). Therefore, when the pastor absolves, it is as if by God Himself. When the pastor binds, it is by God Himself. When the pastor preaches, it is by God Himself. When the pastor reads Scripture, it is God speaking His Word. When the pastor Baptizes, God Baptizes. When the Pastor speaks the Words of Institution over the elements of the Lord’s Supper, God is speaking and instituting the blessed meal for His people in that place. Not that these men are pure and Holy mind you, but they are God’s chosen instruments in that place at this time, so His people can see, hear, taste, and smell the God among them. This is a blessed thing!
We believe when a pastor delivers the blessed gifts of Word and Sacrament in a congregational worship setting, his hand is God’s hand, his mouth God’s mouth, his ear, God’s ear. No one else in the congregation is called to do this thing for them. No one else in our congregation can preach or handle the Sacraments, only their called and ordained pastor.
Granted, even in a congregational setting, we do sometimes have “elders” help with the distribution of the Sacrament of the Altar (Lord’s Supper, Eucharist, Communion) by carrying the blessed tray of body, or blood, but this is only done by men, deputized by the pastor in that place, and only after training to recognize the seriousness, that they are handling is the very Holy and very precious body and blood of Christ Himself, who is not only is the host via the instrument of the pastor, but the meal, present there in the elements of bread and wine (and no, we do not try to explain how it can be, it just IS because He said it is). Yes, we may also sometimes deputize other pastors in our confession of faith (synod) to deliver Word and Sacrament to the people in that congregation, but again, only those of our confession of faith. We call this Pulpit and Altar Fellowship.
We believe then, that when it comes to those who cannot come to the regular place He has promised to come (the congregation worship setting), it is the pastor’s Divine call and duty to go to homes, houses, battlefields, hospitals, assisted living facilities and nursing homes, prisons, and anywhere else his people are, to deliver God Himself through His Word and Sacraments by their pastor’s hand, as an extension of the place of worship (sanctuary). Bottom line, since the congregation member cannot attend the Altar of God in that place, the pastor brings that place’s Altar of God to them.
Other chaplain or spiritual care persons can give prayers and comforting words, but only your pastor is called for you to deliver Word and Sacrament to you. It is an imperative practice of our faith to have pastors of the congregation physically and in-person, visit their people to absolve, to preach, to read His Word, to bless, to give communion, etc. Pastors bring Christ Himself for the people they have been called to serve.
This is why live feed is not as good as gathering. It is also why, this past year, we were at odds with the policies developed during the pandemic that delegated responsibility of distribution of the Sacrament of the Altar to anyone else but by their pastor’s hand.
Because it is by that hand and mouth, in a congregation setting, by which are the instruments that Jesus Christ Himself, the host, and meal, has chosen to deliver His gifts in order to strengthen your faith in Him and love for one another.
Pastor Terry Makelin
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