From Dr. Luther, President Walther, and President Harrison…
Feed: Mercy Journeys with Pastor Harrison
Posted on: Monday, November 22, 2010 6:11 PM
Author: Rev. Matt Harrison
Subject: Luther on Priesthood and Office
Martin Luther: "Thank God, in our churches we can show a Christian the true Christian Mass according to the order and institution of Christ as well as according to the right and true intention of Christ and the church. There our pastor [Pfarrherr], bishop or minister [Diener] in the pastoral office [Pfarramt] steps before the altar rightly, duly, and publicly called. But before that, he was consecrated, anointed, and born as a priest of Christ regardless of private chrism. He publicly and clearly chants the order [Ordnung] of Christ instituted at the Lord's Supper. Then he takes the bread and wine, gives thanks, and distributes them, giving them by virtue of Christ's words, 'This is My body; this is My blood; this do,' etc., to us and the others who are present and desire to receive. And we, especially those who desire to receive the Sacrament, kneel down beside, behind, or around him—man and wife, young and old, master and servant, mistress and maid, parents and children—just as God has brought us together. And we all are true and holy fellow priests, sanctified by the blood of Christ and anointed and consecrated by the Holy Spirit in Baptism. And in our priestly honor and adornment, which we received by birth and inheritance, we are there assembled, bearing on our heads our golden crowns (as this is pictured in Rev. 4:4) and having our harps in our hands and our golden censers. We do not let our pastor [Pfarrherrn] speak the order [Ordnung] merely for himself as for his own person. But he is the mouth of all of us, and we all speak the words with him from the hearts and with our faith directed to the Lamb of God, who is for and with us according to His institution [Ordnung] to feed us with His body and blood. That is our Mass, indeed the true Mass, which we surely possess" Walther, Kirche und Amt, p. 363 |
