DISPUTED DOCTRINES -- Chapter Thirty-Three

MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS

Here are considered two questions which call for comment. One of these concerns the singing of hymns in the Communion Office. The other has to do with the accurate use of Biblical benedictions.

Only one hymn is appointed for the Communion Office. This hymn is a communion hymn, and is used to introduce this particular part of the Service. This does not, however, mean to say that the employment of other hymns is absolutely forbidden in this Office.

The custom in many English Lutheran Churches of singing a verse of a communion hymn while the communicants are approaching and retiring from the altar is not objectionable. But the habit, found in many German Churches, of singing a hymn or a number of hymns continuously and at the top of the voice during the actual administration of the Body and Blood of the Lord, is an unedifying practice and disturbing to devotion.

We condemn the Roman Catholics for their Secreta and for the speaking of the Words of Institution under their breath. But is it very much better, when we drown out the Words so that they can scarcely be heard by the communicants themselves, to say nothing of the assembled congregation?

Luther himself, who was accustomed to intoning the Service, commanded that the Words of Institution should be sung in a loud voice, so as to be easily heard by all present. We are departing very far from his excellent counsel when we try to do two things at one and the same time, and destroy the impressiveness of the one by the other. If something must be done while the communicants are being served, it would be far better to have the organist play a soft devotional melody upon the organ. This would not interfere with, but might promote devotion.

In the matter of Biblical Benedictions, the attention of our pastors should be called to the necessity of accuracy of quotation. The Benediction is the Lord's blessing, and should be given in His own words without change, addition, or variation. This is generally done in the case of the 0. T. or Aaronic Benediction, although even here some unnecessarily add the word "His" before "peace," as though the Lord could give any other peace than that which is His.

But it is the N. T. or Apostolic Benediction that suffers most at the hands of careless pastors. Some seem to think that the addition of words makes it more impressive, and garble it to read something like this: "And now may the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion and fellowship of the Holy Ghost be and abide with you all both now and forever."

Many more make it ambiguous by leaving out the "and" between the words "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ" and "the love of God." This is all the more unjustifiable, because the "and" occurs both in the original and in the translations, and is necessary to preserve the doctrine of the absolute equality of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity, to which this benediction gives expression.

We are treading on dangerous ground when we try to improve on the wording of Scripture. We cannot be too careful in such matters. These things may appear to be small in the eyes of some; but faithfulness even in small things is worthwhile.

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