Pastor Kory’s Page for May 25, 2025

Holy Communion: The Common Cup and More

As Lutheran Christians, we give thanks for Christ’s gift of Holy Communion and we celebrate it often. We confess with Martin Luther and Christians through the ages that the Sacrament of the Altar (one of the other names for Communion) “is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink” (Luther’s Small Catechism). And not only do we place great emphasis on Christ’s presence with us in His Sacrament but on its chief benefit: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” To assure us that His forgiveness is applied personally to us, Christ left us with His means of grace, which include this holy meal, along with God’s Word, Baptism, and Confession and Absolution.

Over the past year, I’ve been approached by several members who were interested in adding the option of a common cup for our celebration of Holy Communion. I gathered more feedback on the possibility and started looking into options for adding the common cup. I inquired with our LCMS Mid-South District Office to see if they had an extra chalice and flagon on hand. As it happened, they had a silver set available for us! We recently received the chalice and flagon, and I look forward to using them in the Divine Service, beginning this Sunday, May 25.

The common cup is an option for receiving the blood of Christ in Communion. Through church history, a common cup was the normal way that Communion was distributed. The Words of Institution in the Gospels describe Christ using a singular cup. Paul also references a singular cup in his teaching on Communion in 1 Corinthians 10:16 & 11:26. A common cup can also serve as a fitting symbol of the oneness of body of Christ, the Church.

Individual communion cups are a more recent invention and are preferred by many communicants. Both options will be available as we go forward, and communicants will be free to choose either an individual cup or the common cup. The elder or assistant will continue to offer the individual cups on the tray. Communicants who wish to receive the common cup can simply wait as the individual cups are offered. The pastor will come by each table at Communion to offer the common cup after the elder has passed by. It can be helpful for communicants to extend an open hand or otherwise indicate to the pastor that they are wishing to receive the common cup. It is also helpful for communicants to help hold the chalice and tip it toward their mouth as the pastor offers it to them. 

Lastly, here are two other reminders of some options at Communion for you: for those with gluten sensitivities, gluten-free communion wafers are available. Also, for those with alcohol sensitives, an alcohol-free white wine is also provided in a few individual cups. Please let me know if you need either of these options at Communion and please also let me know if you have any other questions for me about this gift of Holy Communion!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Kory Janneke

Pastor Kory’s Page for May 11, 2025

What is the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML)?

On this weekend of Mother’s Day, we thank the Lord for the gift of our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and all the loving women He has graciously placed in our lives, homes, and churches. In this Easter season, we’ve also remembered how the Lord chose Mary Magdalene and other women as the first witnesses of Jesus’ empty tomb.

As we give thanks for faithful women both in Bible times, among us today, and throughout the church’s history, I’d like to share a little about a women’s organization in our church body. The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) is an auxiliary ministry of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS). The LWML was organized in 1942 and has been integral to the LCMS on both a local and national level ever since. 

To borrow a summary from their website, “the LWML has focused on affirming each woman’s relationship with Christ, encouraging and equipping women to live out their Christian lives in active mission ministries and to support global missions.” (Speaking of the LWML website, I’d encourage you to check it out yourself at lwml.org.)

I’ve been around LWML folks and activities for most of my life as both my mom and grandmother served in the LWML. Through my Lutheran education (5th grade – seminary), I received support, books, and scholarships from LWML groups on multiple occasions. As a pastor, I also worked with LWML groups in my previous congregations. Last year, I was elected to serve as a pastoral counselor to our Mid-South District LWML. In this capacity, I’ll be traveling to the national LWML convention next month in Omaha, NE. 

Next month we’ll also have an opportunity to learn more about the LWML here at St. Matthew. On Sunday, June 8 following the service, we’ll be joined by representatives from nearby LWML groups in our sister congregations. They’ll share about their experiences in the LWML and describe the process for St. Matthew’s women to potentially form a new LWML group. I encourage women of all ages in the congregation to stay and learn more about this possibility.

Generally, women in the LWML meet for regular Bible study and fellowship with their local group. Each LWML group also raises funds to support mission projects, missionaries, our seminaries, non-profit organizations, and more. A local recipient of a recent grant from our Mid-South LWML is the City of Hope Outreach (CoHO) here in Conway. Each LWML District also has regional retreats and workshops, giving women the opportunity to gather with those from sister congregations in the area. (Other nearby congregations with LWML groups include Peace Lutheran in Conway, Hope Lutheran in Jacksonville, and Our Savior Lutheran in Cabot.) You can learn more about the mission grants provided by our Mid-South LWML and other happenings in our region at their website, midsouthlwml.org.

In closing, I’d simply like to share a primary Scripture verse that inspires the women of the LWML: “Serve the Lord with gladness” (Psalm 100:2).  May that verse describe all of us as Christ’s faithful people!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Kory Janneke

Pastor Kory’s Page for Easter 2025

            Blessed Easter to you! I want to take a moment to share some background and explanation about a detail pertaining to Easter. The communion liturgy this Easter Sunday refers to Jesus as the “Paschal Lamb.” Recently, another order of service included these words: “Jesus Christ, our Lord … overcame the assaults of the devil and gave His life as a ransom for many that with cleansed hearts we might be prepared joyfully to celebrate the paschal feast in sincerity and truth.”

            What does it mean that Jesus is our Paschal Lamb, or for us to celebrate the paschal feast? In short, “pascha” is the Aramaic word for the Passover. The Passover features prominently in the Bible. On the last night that the Old Testament Israelites spent in Egypt, the angel of the Lord “passed over” Egypt, bringing sudden death to firstborn Egyptians. This was the tenth and final plague which the Lord used to bring about the exodus of His people from slavery. But the Lord provided a means of sparing His people from this final plague: each Israelite family took an unblemished lamb, slaughtered it, painted their doorframes with it, and ate the roast lamb as their final supper in Egypt. Thereafter, the Israelites ate an annual Passover meal as a remembrance of how the Lord delivered them from Egypt. (You can read about the first Passover and the Lord’s instructions for it in Exodus 11-12.)

            More than 1,400 years later, Jesus and His family attended the Passover feasts at Jerusalem (Luke 2:41). Jesus also celebrated several Passovers during His ministry. None was more important than the Passover that took place during Holy Week. On Maundy Thursday, Jesus and His disciples shared the Passover meal one last time, eating the roast lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. The next day, on Good Friday, Jesus became the ultimate Lamb of God and the final sacrifice to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). 

            While Christians no longer observe the Old Testament Passover, we recognize that Jesus is our Paschal Lamb. Early Christians simply called Easter the “pascha.” Today, we celebrate the “paschal feast” by worshipping the Savior who fulfilled the Passover and the entire old covenant for us. We believe that our crucified and risen Jesus is the Passover Lamb, slain for us. As we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we also receive the Body and Blood of the Lamb of God, given and shed to set us free from sin. Because we’ve been cleansed by the precious blood of Christ, the Lamb without blemish (1 Peter 1:19), we joyfully celebrate the paschal feast this Easter!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Kory Janneke