Take and Eat, and Take the Consequences: How Receiving the Lord's Supper is an Action that Makes a Difference

What happens at the Lord’s Supper? Twentieth-century theologies emphasize the human actions at the Eucharist and sometimes neglect what Christ does there. According to Murken, if our sacramental doing is recognized for what it is – an action of receiving – then it can be emphasized as an action with consequences – both in history and beyond. «Active receiving» conforms to key New Testament passages and to Luther’s teachings on justification and Holy Communion. Bonhoeffer’s analysis of confessing…