Today is Maundy Thursday, and anticipating Jesus coming to us in the Eucharist tonight. June and I will be at St. Luke Lutheran Church, a little store-front place in McDonough. Georgia. Several days ago we met the parish's pastor, Robb Harrell, a once-long-ago Baptist who became Lutheran because the Holy Gospel is articulated and celebrated so beautifully in the Divine Liturgy. (among other reasons). Pastor Robb has a fine sense of the evangelical-catholic tradition so often apparent in the Lutheran Church, and we’re looking forward both to hearing his homily tonight and participating in the Eucharist under his pastoral presiding.

Earlier today during Morning Prayer, June and I decided to read the fourth reading from the our lectionary because we probably will not be able to say Evening Prayer (getting to St. Luke's Eucharist requires driving considerable distance.) What a delightful surprise it was to find out that the fourth reading in our prayerbook for Thursday in Holy Week is from John Calvin’s Short Treatise on the Holy Supper of our Lord: we read it slowly and carefully; you will want to do the same:

But as the blessings of Jesus Christ do not belong to us at all, unless he be previously ours, it is necessary, first of all, that he be given us in the upper, in order that the things which we have mentioned may be truly accomplished in us. For this reason I am wont to say, that the substance of the sacraments is the Lord Jesus, and the efficacy of them the graces and blessings which we have by his means. Now the efficacy of the Supper is to confirm to us the reconciliation which we have with God through our Savior’s death and passion; the washing of our souls which we have in the shedding of his blood; the righteousness which we have in his obedience; in short, the hope of salvation which we have in all that he has done for us. It is necessary, then, that the substance should be conjoined with these; otherwise, nothing would be firm or certain. Hence we conclude that two things are presented to us in the Supper, viz., Jesus Christ as the source and substance of all good; and, secondly, the fruit and efficacy of his death and passion. This is implied in the words which were used. For after commanding us to eat his body and drink his blood, he adds that his body was delivered for us, and his blood shed for the remission of our sins. Hereby he intimates, first, that we ought not simply to communicate in his body and blood, without any other consideration, but in order to receive the fruit derived to us from his death and passion; secondly that we can attain the enjoyment of such fruit only by participating in his body and blood, from which it is derived.

Johm Calvin's witness to the reality of Holy Communion is remarkably full--high, deep, and wide! His understanding of the Eucharist is profoundly catholic. Calvin says unequivocally that in order to receive Christ’s benefits we must receive Christ himself as their only source. This, of course, is the orthodox, evangelical, and catholic understanding of Holy Communion. Christ gives us himself in the Eucharistic bread and wine; all subsequent blessings come from him.

All this is important because as a Lutheran (who affirms with the church catholic that we receive the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar), I was erroneously told years ago that Calvinists were under the impression that the Lord’s Supper was "only" a symbol of Christ’s presence in the world. Calvin, the spiritual father of our Presbyterian friends, certainly thought otherwise. For him Christ is the authentic “substance” of the sacrament and only by receiving him in the Eucharist do we receive the gifts and fruits he offers, namely the forgiveness of sins and newness of life.

As you attend Holy Communion tonight, may the holy catholic church in all of its various manifestions (Lutheran, Episcopalian, Roman, Presbyterian, Orthodox, Methodist, among others) give you opportunity to receive Our Lord Jesus in the sacrament of the altar so that you are filled with his divine presence as our Incarnate Lord. Living with the presence of Christ deep within your mind, soul, and body leads to forgiveness, regeneration, adoption, and resurrection. On Maundy Thursday, let the fullness of Christ abiding in you show you how to live to the glory of the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit.