Consecrating the elements

Before Communion, the pastor says a blessing followed by the sign of the cross, over the elements, before distributing them. What’s the reason for the blessing. He cannot change them to blood and body. During these days, some churches are having service in their parking lot, using short range radio. You bring your drink of choice, bread or cracker, he blesses them and you receive Communion. Is this acceptable?

What you are describing is the pastor speaking “the words of institution” in the consecration of the elements. The Shepherd Under Christ, a pastoral theology textbook used at our seminary for many years, provides this explanation for the consecration of the elements.

“Essentially the consecration consists in speaking the words of institution over the visible elements. Its purpose is, first of all, to show that it is the pastor’s intention to carry out Jesus’ institution and to set the visible elements apart for use in the sacrament. It furthermore serves as a prayer that the Lord may do what He has promised, as a confession that the body and blood of Christ are present in the sacrament, and as an invitation to the communicants to appropriate Jesus’ promise by faith.

“Such a use of the words of institution in consecrating the visible elements is an ancient custom (1 Cor 10:10), but the words are not to be considered a magic formula that effects a change in the elements. The presence of the body and blood does not depend on the simple repeating of the words but comes about through the gracious working of the Lord, whose promise is connected with the words. The real presence is therefore also not dependent on the faith of the man who speaks the words.” (Page 91)

Concerning the practice you mentioned, our Conference of Presidents recently gave this advice: “We encourage our congregations at this time to reserve the distribution of the Lord’s Supper for its regular and normal use within the gathering of the body of believers (realizing that some changes in procedure may be made) or distributed privately by the pastor to individuals in need, as is the customary practice. We urge congregations to refrain from initiating novel approaches for celebration of the sacrament.”