Biblical fellowship principles

As a WELS member, would it be a sin for to receive Communion in a Missouri Synod (LCMS) church? The reason I ask is that sometimes when we are away from home, such as in the winter months, there is not always a WELS church nearby. Thank you and God bless.

WELS and LCMS are not in doctrinal fellowship with one another. Closed communion is the stated practice of both church bodies. Since receiving the Lord’s Supper with other people is an expression of unity of faith (1 Corinthians 10:17), we want to present an image of unity that is accurate and not forced.

It is always a serious matter to ignore what God says in his word. Violating biblical fellowship principles is always a serious matter. While there can be extraordinary and exceptional situations to a regular practice of biblical fellowship principles, those situations usually fall into the category of emergencies.

I certainly do not want to diminish your desire to receive the Lord’s Supper or downplay the preciousness of the sacrament, but we do speak of the gospel in word and sacrament. By that we mean that God offers and gives forgiveness of sins through the word alone and through the sacrament. If you are not able to receive the Lord’s Supper as often as you would like, be assured that God offers and gives you the same spiritual blessings through his word alone as he does through the sacrament.

If you have not done so already, do speak to your pastor about your circumstances. He may be aware of one of our churches that is a little farther away than “nearby” when you are traveling. God bless you also.