Weekly message & Upcoming Events

 Dear members and friends of Big Canoe and Highland Lutheran Churches,

       What we call the Sacrament of the Altar is called many things in the church. In this meal the very body and blood of Christ Jesus are given to us for forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. For this reason, this sacrament is appropriately called the Sacrament of the Altar. The altar reminds us of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, the benefits of which are given to those who receive this sacrament.

            The Sacrament of the Altar is also called the Lord’s Supper. This title reminds us of when Jesus instituted the meal. Jesus gathered with his disciples in the Upper Room to celebrate the Passover meal. It was in the context of that meal that Jesus took bread, broke it, gave thanks, and said, “This is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Then he took a cup of wine, blessed it, and gave it to them to drink, saying, “This cup is the new testament in my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this for the remembrance of me.” We should remember that the Lord’s Supper is indeed a meal, a feast with the risen and glorified Lord Jesus. That is why the elements of bread and wine are set up on the table in front of the altar at Big Canoe. That freestanding table is intended to signify the meal-character of the sacrament. But such a table is not necessary. The altar at both congregations reminds us of the benefits we receive from Christ’s sacrifice.

            This meal is also called Holy Communion. This is the term that the apostle Paul uses, especially in his first letter to the Corinthian Christians. “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor. 10:16). The Greek word that Paul uses here is koinonia, which in this context means “participation in something” or “sharing in something.” In this case, what we are sharing is the body and blood of Christ. That is what we have in common (another way to translate koinonia) when we receive Holy Communion. It is a sacrament of communion with Christ and all his people.

            This meal is also called the Eucharist (= “thanksgiving”). When we celebrate the Sacrament of the Altar, we are giving thanks to God for the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and all his benefits that he freely gives us through this special meal. “Eating and drinking Christ’s gift, forgiven and fed the gift of life, we stand before the face of the Father. By the power of the Spirit, we become what we eat and turn in mission to the world as the body of Christ, sent as part of the mission of God” (The Sunday Assembly, 175).

            The ways in which this meal is celebrated are diverse. As I mentioned last week, I hope that we can begin offering the chalice of consecrated wine along with the individual cups. More discussion of this matter needs to take place, though. We will continue to offer both red wine and white grape juice in the individual cups. Whether fermented wine or unfermented grape juice does not matter. The New Testament refers to both wine and the “fruit of the vine” (i.e., grape juice). Christ gives himself just the same in either way.

            In both of our congregations, we normally kneel at the altar, but kneeling is not necessary. What counts is receiving the sacrament itself. When departing the altar, some communicants will cross themselves as a further reminder of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and the benefits that have been received from his holy meal. Signing oneself with the sign of the cross also reminds us of our baptism, which is likewise connected to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. In many of our congregations, children who have not yet been instructed in the meaning of the Lord’s Supper are also marked with the sign of the cross by the pastor when they come to the altar with their parents or guardians. (It should be noted that there are no biblical grounds for requiring anything other than baptism for admission to the Lord’s Supper. In many Lutheran congregations, even young children who are baptized receive this sacrament. But our custom is for children to receive instruction before communing.)

            There is, of course, great diversity in how the Lord’s Supper is celebrated. Just look at the various settings for Holy Communion in our red hymnal! What is central are Christ’s words of institution: “This is my body, given for you… This is my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.”

            See you in church!

            Pastor Becker

            10/16/25

Upcoming Events:

Thurs, Oct 16 (9:30am-11am): ELCA colleague group meets at the parsonage

Sat, Oct 18 (7:00pm): Feast of St. Luke, Physician - Service of Anointing for Healing (Big Canoe)

Sun, Oct 19 (8:45am): Bible class (on the Nicene Creed) meets in the nave at Big Canoe

Sun, Oct 19 (9am): Sunday school meets in the Fellowship Hall at Big Canoe

Sun, Oct 19 (10am): Service w/baptism of Johanna Jaster; blessing of quilts (BC) – 19th S. a. P. (green)

Sun, Oct 19 (11:15-11:50am): Youth confirmation class at Big Canoe

Tues, Oct 21 (10am): Pastor Becker participates in a Lutheran Quarterly meeting (Zoom)

Thurs, Oct 23 (9am): Shared Ministry meeting (Peace Lutheran Church, Ridgeway)

Sun, Oct 26 (8:45am): Bible class (on the Nicene Creed) meets in the Fellowship Hall at Highland

Sun, Oct 26 (10am): Service of the Word w/blessing the quilts at Highland – Reformation Sunday (red)

Sun, Oct 26 (after worship): Pot-luck meal w/Revs. Barbara and Nate (Emmaus Road) (FH at Highland)

Wed, Oct 29 (2:30pm): Pastor Becker leads the worship service at Aase Haugen

Fri, Oct 31 (dusk-??): Pastor and Detra will be handing out “treats” at the parsonage

Sat, Nov 1 (7:30-10:30am): Lutheran World Relief Truck at Olson Explosives

Sun, Nov 2 (8:45am): Bible class (on the Nicene Creed) meets in the nave at Big Canoe

Sun, Nov 2 (9am): Sunday school meets in the Fellowship Hall at Big Canoe

Sun, Nov 2 (10am): Service w/Holy Communion (Big Canoe) – All Saints Sunday (white)

Nov 3-4: Pastor Becker will be presenting on Dietrich Bonhoeffer at a pastors’ retreat in Chicago

Thurs, Nov 6 (9am-3pm): Pastor Becker will be participating in Boundaries Education

Sun, Nov 9 (8:45am): Bible class (on the Nicene Creed) meets in the Fellowship Hall at Highland

Sun, Nov 9 (10am): Service w/Holy Communion (Highland) – Twenty-second Sun. a. P. (green)

Fri, Nov 14 (10am): Pastor Becker leads the worship service at Green Lea Manor (Mabel)

Sun, Nov 16 (8:45am): Bible class (on the Nicene Creed) meets in the nave at Big Canoe

Sun, Nov 16 (9am): Sunday school meets in the Fellowship Hall at Big Canoe

Sun, Nov 16 (10am): Service w/baptism of Tatum Nordheim (Big Canoe) – 23rd Sun a. P. (green)

Nov 17-19: Pastor Becker will be giving three lectures at a pastors’ retreat at Creighton University

Sun, Nov 23 (8:45am): Bible class (on the Nicene Creed) meets in the fellowship hall at Highland

Sun, Nov 23 (10am): Service of the Word (Highland) – Christ the King Sunday (white)

Wed, Nov 26 (6:30pm): Thanksgiving worship service (Big Canoe)

Sun, Nov 30 (8:45am): Bible class (on the Nicene Creed) meets in the fellowship hall at Highland

Sun, Nov 30 (10am): Service w/Holy Communion (Highland) – First Sun in Advent (blue)

Sat, Dec 6 (9am-noon): Annual spiritual/planning retreat for both congregations (Big Canoe)

Sat, Dec 13 (9am-noon): Practice for the Children’s Christmas Program (Big Canoe)

Sun, Dec 14 (after worship): Highland WELCA will meet (Highland)

Sat, Dec 20 (9am-noon): Practice for the Children’s Christmas Program (Big Canoe) – if necessary

Sun, Dec 21 (10am): Children’s Christmas Program and soup luncheon (Big Canoe)

Sat, Dec 27 (2-4pm): Open House at the Parsonage (carol singing at 3pm)

Apr 21 – May 5, 2026: Pr. Becker will be in Nigeria, Africa (ordaining 20 pastors)

Matthew L. Becker, STS, B.A., M.Div., M.A., Ph.D.

Pastor, Big Canoe and Highland Lutheran Churches, Decorah, IA

Treasurer, Lutheran Quarterly

Senior Research Professor of Theology Valparaiso University College of Arts & Sciences Room 314
1400 Chapel Drive Valparaiso, IN 46383 Phone:  219-916-8535 E-mail: matthew.becker@valpo.edu