Introduction The Lord’s Supper is a spiritual banquet. Our host is the Lord himself. The food and drink on the table are the communion with Jesus himself and his sacrifice on the cross. There he gives us strength for our spiritual life and grows our faith. We now consider the guests at the table. In … Continue reading Come, eat and drink (LD 30 q&a 81-82)
Tag: Lord's supper
Where earth and heaven meet (LD 30 q&a 80)
Introduction Q&a 80 in the Heidelberg Catechism is famous for its explicit criticism of the “mass”, that is, the way the Lord’s Supper is celebrated in the Roman Catholic church. It concludes that the mass is basically … an accursed idolatry. This hard criticism of the Roman Catholic was missing in the first edition of … Continue reading Where earth and heaven meet (LD 30 q&a 80)
A foretaste of the feast (LD 29)
Introduction At the Lord’s Supper we eat the broken body of our Lord and drink his poured-out blood. In this way we take part in his death and his resurrection. We die to sin; and we share in his new life, becoming more and more like him. But the Lord’s Supper has another aspect. It … Continue reading A foretaste of the feast (LD 29)
Eating and drinking Jesus (LD 28)
Introduction The day before he was crucified, Jesus had his last supper with his disciples. He broke bread and handed out wine, telling them to do this from now on as a memorial to him. Ever since, the church has celebrated the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, often also called Eucharist (“Thanksgiving”). Eating and drinking … Continue reading Eating and drinking Jesus (LD 28)
The source of faith (LD 25)
Introduction In Christianity, faith is extremely important. That is why the catechism talks about it often. In Lord’s Day 7, it said that only those are saved who by a true faith are grafted into Christ. Then it defined what faith is: knowing that God’s promises are true, and being confident that they are for … Continue reading The source of faith (LD 25)
Sacraments: Reformed view vs. Roman view
The Roman church and Reformed churches have different views of the sacraments. At the heart of the matter is the question how sacraments give grace, and how they relate to the preached gospel.
PreCon 01: Getting started
Your public profession The goal of this class is to prepare you for your public profession of faith. You will stand up in front of God and his church, and declare that you believe in you Saviour, Jesus Christ. You will make a life-long vow to dedicate your life to him. This is the most … Continue reading PreCon 01: Getting started