The Blessings of Weekly Communion

Dr. Wieting does a wonderful job of addressing the issues connected with reclaiming the historic practice of weekly Communion being offered. This book is a great resource for clergy and laity to study this topic. I have used this book in the church I serve, and it has truly been a great aid for teaching and discussing the blessed gift of the Lord's Supper. I strongly recommend this book for all people who are interested in a deeper understanding of the historic practice and blessing offered in our Lord's meal.

This book is indispensable for pastors and congregations alike. Whether your desire is to move toward weekly reception of our Lord's Body and Blood, or gain a greater appreciation for this beloved Sacrament, Pastor Wieting's writing will guide you in both endeavors. His insights are born from both historical research and practical, pastoral experience. The need for a solid Biblical and Scriptural foundation for a proper theology of the Lord's Supper is evident in our current times, and as Pastor Wieting has shown, this need has been in the Church throughout its history. The Lord's liturgy matters. The Lord's Word matters. The Lord's Supper matters. These are clearly set forth by Pastor Wieting in an informative and engaging matter.

The book provides a rich historical survey of Eucharistic practice in the church from apostolic times through the modern era. But at heart its concern is pastoral: what does the dominical invitation/command: “Do this in remembrance of me” mean for the contemporary church? How does the question of the frequency of communion relate to its faithful administration? Early in his ministry Pastor Wieting was conducting pastoral visits in the homes of his parishioners when one of the young husbands in his congregation surprised him with this question: “Pastor, if the Lord’s Supper is everything that Scripture and the catechism say it is, why don’t we have the opportunity to receive it when we come for worship each week?” (9) Convinced it wouldn’t take him long to research the reason for the congregation’s practice (then twice a month), Pastor Wieting’s journey of discovery was both lengthy and revolutionary; it led to the recovery of weekly communion in that congregation and in the one he presently serves. In this book he invites other pastors and congregations on the same journey of discovery. It's an invitation we would all do well to accept.

Pastor Wieting has written a great resource that gets to the heart of the life of The Church: The body and blood of Christ given and shed for the forgiveness of sins. This book will surely serve the church for years to come. His examination of the practical history related to Holy Communion is especially valuable. The helpful format, with questions to reflect upon each chapter, makes this book easy to use as a study resource for a Board of Elders, Church Council, or weekly Bible Class.

Pastor Wieting writes with pastoral sensitivity and Biblical fidelity as he extols Jesus’ give of the blessed Sacrament. Patiently and kindly he lays before the reader the Biblical, historical, and Confessional witness to receiving the Sacrament frequently. We are all learning and growing and this book has helped me as a pastor present to my congregation the gifts Jesus yearns to distribute in bread and wine; namely his body and blood. “Often” is more beneficial than “occasionally” and our Confessions encourage us in the following manner; We must never regard the sacrament as a harmful thing from which we should flee, but as a pure, wholesome, soothing medicine which aids and quickens us in both soul and body. For where the soul is healed, the body has benefited also” (Large Catechism V 68). [Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2005): 237, q. 296, B.] Kindly, Pastor Karl Weber

What a great blessing this book as been to me as a pastor and to the congregation I serve! This great book was instrumental in helping our leaders move us to weekly reception of the Sacrament of the Altar. This is of the key elements in a total change in our congregational culture. A must read for anyone seeking to focus their congregation on Christ, His gifts and the benefits they give for service to the Lord in service to our neighbors!

Rev. Dr. Wieting provides a historical, theological, and pastoral approach in reminding us all that the Sacrament of the Altar is no occasional extra but the "sum and substance of the Gospel," in which we enjoy the promise of forgiveness, life, and salvation. After reading chapter seven, "The Treasures Abound," the leaders of my congregation were all extolling the blessings of weekly communion!