Luther and the Eucharist compared to Christ and his incarnation

[WorkerPriest]

thank you for this explanation. Now when you say the Church lays hands on them do you mean the congregation along with the bishop? My grandparents are Missouri Synod and my wifes parents are ELCA…my wife is now Catholic. But I have learn a lot of wonderful things from Lutherans as well. Even though we have to agree to disagree sometimes, I truly believe we have a lot to learn from each other and we can also serve others in Christ name. I am enjoying this discussion and I look forward to hearing more soon.

I, too, am enjoying the charitable dialogue. I learn much from my Roman Catholic friends, and I count many of them.

Lutheran synods will differ in this pattern of ordination. According to our Confessions, the canonical norms of a bishop or ecclesiastical supervisor (what the LCMS might call their district presidents) being the primary one to impose hands on the oridinand is practiced. Sometimes, if other area clergy are present, they will all lay hands on the ordinand at the same time. Some very low-church Lutherans that don’t recognize an episcopal office outside the local congregation, will have the congregation’s elders, or deacons, or perhaps many of the congregation at the same time, lay hands on the ordinand to ordain and install him into the office of Word and Sacrament in that place.

Both the Augsburg Confession, and the Apology to the Augsburg Confession, endorse a retaining of canonical norms with setting a man into the office of the Holy Ministry-- which means that the local episcopal authority, in unity with the congregation into which he will be installed, cooperate in that ordination with good historic order. Of course, what all the various synods of Lutherans actually practice, can be all over the map.

Blessings be to you, my friend.