So should we do away with the chalice?

Reliable reports indicate that in this time of turmoil some congregations and pastors are seriously considering the complete removal of the Chalice from their celebrations of the Sacrament of the Altar. In one such case, Pr Kurt E. Reinhardt of Trinity Lutheran Church, Kurtzville ON, was asked for his opinion, which is given below, with his permission. Pr Reinhardt is a leading pastoral theologian of Lutheran Church—Canada and sits on her Board of Directors. JRS

In a Covid 19 world where we look on every other human being as a possible source of disease and death that must be kept at least 2 metres away from us,  it is understandable that questions might arise in some hearts about the risks of drinking from a common cup at celebrations of the Lord’s Supper.  Asserting the truth that the Lord’s Blood is in this cup to share His divine life with us will calm the fears of some, but not of all.  Other minds will likewise be set at ease by quoting the medical studies that clarify that there is minimal risk of catching disease from drinking wine from a silver or gold chalice.  Others, however—despite Luther’s admonition in the Large Catechism that the Sacrament of the Altar should never be regarded as something harmful from which we should flee!—will have real qualms and fears about drinking from the common cup.

These qualms and fears are very real for some and need to be treated with the gentleness and mercy characteristic of the One who is present at the altar to grant His forgiveness and share His Divine life through these gifts.  But these qualms and fears may not be the deciding factor when it comes to the question of whether or not the Chalice or Common Cup should be removed from celebrations of the Sacrament of the Altar altogether. The Lutheran way to handle such questions, going back to the good Doctor himself, has always been to go to the words of our Lord with which He instituted the Blessed Sacrament of His Body and Blood on the night when He was betrayed.

When we go to these words, we find our Lord taking “the cup.”  Our Lord clearly instituted this precious Sacrament with only one cup, from which He invited the apostles to drink.  This is perfectly clear from the Gospels and St Paul and is supported by almost two thousand years of Church practice.  “So?,” some might want to protest, “What does that mean?” The fact that this is what the Lord Jesus did should mean something for those who claim to be His followers, but what makes this fact so important are two other little words that the Lord utters shortly after He takes “the cup” and says what He says about it.  Those two words are “This do.”  Not only do we have our Lord’s own practice laid out clearly for us in Holy Scripture, but we also have His clear command to follow it.

In order to be doing what Jesus did on the night when He was betrayed, you have to have “the cup.”  You simply can’t follow the “This do” without it.  This is not only troubling in that you are wantonly disregarding the Lord’s clear command, but by disregarding it you bring into question what exactly you are doing, and when you bring that into question then you also cast doubt on what you are receiving.  With His “This do” the Lord makes clear that this gift remains His as He remains its Giver.  The Sacrament of the Altar, after all, is not something that we enact but something that the Lord continues to enact.  If you do not do what Jesus does, then you step outside His institution and bring into question what is going on at the altar.  This undermines this great gift by sowing doubt concerning something that has been and continues to be given to nourish and strengthen faith.

While pastoral accommodation can be made for those who struggle with qualms and fears with regard to receiving the Lord’s Blood from a common cup, removal of “the cup” from the celebration altogether would be contrary to the clear testimony of Holy Scripture and contrary to the express “This do” of Christ.  It should go without saying that for any Church claiming to submit herself to the Word of God and Christ, such an action could not be considered or countenanced without bringing into question her submission and identity.

So, no, we should not do away with the Chalice.