Living Love(d) at the Lord’s Table:
Celebrating the Lord’s Supper at the National Youth Gathering Leader’s Guide
Living Love(d) at the Lord’s Table:
Celebrating the Lord’s Supper at the National Youth Gathering This study is designed for ALL National Youth Gathering participants. Its purpose is to prepare youth and adults (LCMS Lutheran, non-Lutheran, and non-Christian) for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper during the worship service on Thursday morning. For those who have been confirmed in the LCMS, this study serves as a reminder of what we believe, teach, confess, and practice about the Lord’s Supper. It can also help us share what we believe about the Lord’s Supper with non-LCMS friends. For those who are not LCMS Lutherans (or even Christian), this study teaches what we believe about the Lord’s Supper and why we celebrate it. It also prepares those who will not be communing to participate in the worship service without feeling excluded. As you lead youth through this study, keep in mind that non-Lutherans and nonChristians may not understand anything about the Lord’s Supper. To some people, the idea of eating and drinking the body and blood of anyone may be very strange. Be sensitive to how unfamiliar this may sound for the first time. Also, be aware that these youth may feel somewhat detached from your group. Every effort should be made to make them feel welcome, even (and especially) if they will not be taking part in the Lord’s Supper. Begin by reading the following: It was the last night before he was unjustly executed. He gathered together his closest followers to celebrate one last meal together. It was already a special meal—one that their people had been celebrating for centuries as they remembered God’s deliverance centuries earlier. As the evening progressed, however, this meal of remembrance became something much greater. On this evening Jesus was doing something new. He was starting a new meal. It would become known as “The Lord’s Supper,” and it stands at the foundation of what it means to be a Christian. There will be many highlights at the National Youth Gathering in San Antonio this summer: great bands, inspiring speakers, much needed service projects, and insightful Bible studies. But of all the highlights in San Antonio 2013, our celebration of this special meal during the Worship Service on Thursday morning might just top them all. This study is designed to help you understand why. It will take a close look at the last meal that Jesus shared with his disciples. It will examine why we continue to celebrate it, how we should prepare for it, and what actually takes place when we join together in the Lord’s Supper.
What’s Going On Here...Really?
It’s hard to tell these days what is really going on. It is pretty obvious that “reality TV” isn’t anything close to life in the real world. It’s also obvious that much of what we see on the internet and on Facebook isn’t real either. What is the most outlandish “reality TV” program you’ve seen? What was the last thing you saw on the internet or Facebook that clearly wasn’t real? Where do you go for information when you want to know what’s really going on? The purpose of these questions is to get the youth to think and speak about reality. It’s hard to know what is really going on sometimes. As we get ready to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together in San Antonio, it is important to understand what is really happening when we gather for this special meal. As Christians we turn to the Scriptures to see what is really going on in life. When we search what the Scriptures say about the Lord’s Supper, we find four important “realities” in this meal. The first two have to do with your relationship with God as an individual. They help us understand what is going on between you and God in this special meal. The last two have to do with your relationships with other Christians at the same table. They help us see that when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we never celebrate it alone.
Reality #1: Real Presence Read Mark 14:12-25.
What special meal had Jesus and his disciples gathered to eat? The Passover. God’s people had been celebrating this meal for almost 1500 years. To review the origins of the Passover, have the group read Exodus 12:1-27. What did Jesus say about the bread and wine? He said, “This is my body,” and “This is my blood.” Read 1 Corinthians 10:16. What does Paul say about the bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper? The cup of blessing (the wine) is a participation in the blood of Christ. The bread is a participation in the body of Christ.
Summary Point: The bread and wine we eat at the Lord’s Supper really is the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Questions might be raised about how this can be possible. The leader may emphasize that we believe the words of Jesus even when we do not fully understand them. It would also be helpful to emphasize that the “real presence” of Jesus’ body and blood is a matter of faith. We can’t prove that it is Jesus’ body and blood. Instead, we take Jesus at his Word. When Jesus says that the bread and wine is his body and blood, we simply believe him.
Reality #2: Real Forgiveness Read Matthew 26:27-28.
Why did Jesus shed his blood? To forgive our sins. Read 1 John 1:5-9. What does the blood of Christ do? It cleanses us from our sin (verse 7). What does God promise to do for us when we confess our sins? He promises to forgive us (verse 9). Summary Point: We receive forgiveness when we eat and drink the body and blood of Jesus in this meal.
Reality #3: Real Unity Read 1 Corinthians 11:17-22.
What was wrong with the church in Corinth when they came together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper? They were divided (see verse 18). Read 1 Corinthians 10:17. What does this passage say about those who commune together? They are one body. When Christians comes together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, they rejoice that God unites them with Christ through his body and blood. They also rejoice in the unity God
has given us with one another. This unity is symbolized in some congregations by offering the blood of Jesus in what is known as the “common cup,” in addition to smaller individual cups. Ask a confirmed member of your youth group: Is there a difference in what we receive between drinking from an individual cup and the common cup at the Lord’s Supper? No. There is no difference in what we receive—both of them deliver the blood of Christ during the Lord’s Supper, which unites us with Jesus. You might inform the group at this point that when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper at the National Youth Gathering there will be no individual cups. The blood of Christ will be served via common cup in a number of different stations. This reinforces the idea that we are united as one body. Summary Point: Those who celebrate the Lord’s Supper are united as one body. It is helpful to emphasize here that we should be united before we commune together. The problem with the Christians in Corinth was that they were divided when they came together. Celebrating the Lord’s Supper is a result of unity, not a means to establishing it.
Reality #4: Real Confession Read 1 Corinthians 11:26.
What does this passage say about celebrating the Lord’s Supper? When Christians commune they proclaim their faith together. This is one of the reasons that it is important to commune with those who share your faith. If you commune at a church (or at the National Youth Gathering) you say by your actions that you are united in what you believe. C. F. W. Walther, the first president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, said that when a congregation celebrates the Lord’s Supper, the pastor is not the only preacher in the building. What do you think he meant by this? The congregation proclaims the Gospel through their actions at the Lord’s Supper. Summary Point: When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper we confess our faith together. You might compare this aspect of celebrating the Lord’s Supper to attending a pep rally for your high school football team. By attending the pep rally and
participating in the cheers, you are saying by your actions that you support the team and stand together with them. You are uniting yourself with others who share the same views.
Are You Ready for these Four Realities?
Each time you have the opportunity to celebrate the Lord’s Supper—including at the National Youth Gathering—you should ask yourself if you are ready. We read why in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Read 1 Corinthians 11:27-29. Because it is possible to commune “in an unworthy manner” and to “eat and drink judgment on yourself,” it is important for all of us to prepare ourselves spiritually by examining ourselves. You are ready to commune if... 1. You repent of your sins Jesus gave us this meal so that we could receive forgiveness. If you are not sorry for your sins and do not desire forgiveness, you are not ready to commune. 2. You recognize the body and blood of Jesus Jesus promised that the bread and wine is his body and blood. If you do not trust that he has the power to be really present in this meal, you are not ready to commune. 3. You rejoice in the unity we share We commune together as one body, united in what we believe and how we live. If you do not share the beliefs of the group of people who are celebrating the Lord’s Supper, you are not ready to commune. 4. You are ready to proclaim the Gospel with these Christians When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper we proclaim the Gospel of Christ crucified. If you don’t know what that Gospel is, or if you are not willing to proclaim it boldly with this group of Christians, you are not ready to commune. What if you are not yet ready? Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the Christian faith. Maybe you do not know what Missouri Synod Lutherans believe. It might be that you have some questions about the four realities we just discussed. If that is the case, you are probably not ready to commune at the National Youth Gathering. Don’t feel bad, though. You should never feel pressured to commune—not in your home congregation or at the National Youth Gathering.
When you are at the Gathering, there are several options for what you might do during the Lord’s Supper if you will not be communing. You can stay in your seat and listen to the music that will be sung. Or, you can walk forward together with your group and cross your arms to indicate that you are there for a blessing. If you choose to come forward, the pastor distributing the Lord’s Supper at your station will say a prayer of blessing for you. Although you might not be ready to commune with us in San Antonio, we hope that you will be ready to celebrate the Lord’s Supper sometime soon. God gives us life-saving gifts through this meal, and we want you to enjoy them with us. Please spend some time in the coming weeks and months talking to your youth leader or pastor about this special meal. We look forward to communing with you in the future! Closing Prayer Gracious Father in Heaven, We bow before you in humble repentance. We haven’t lived the new life You have given us in Christ. We come to the Lord’s Supper recognizing our complete unworthiness. But we are reminded of the sacrifice Jesus made for us, and of His victory over death and the grave. As we contemplate the gift of forgiveness and life we receive in this holy meal, enable us to depart in peace and live according to your will. In Jesus' name, Amen.