Walking Sacraments

Dr. Jack Preus gave an excellent presentation at the 2011 Professional Church Workers’ Conference in Houston. His talk about incarnational witness caused me to recall Luther’s entertaining the idea that confession and absolution could very well be a sacrament. The command from Jesus is there. The promise of forgiveness of sins is there. Luther wondered what might the visible means be. Perhaps the pastor. Luther ventured into the sacramental, incarnational work of Jesus through people!

God established His incarnational, sacramental presence immediately as He interacted with His precious creation. He walked with Adam in the Garden of Eden. After the Fall He continued to be present with His people. The burning bush, the pillars of fire and cloud, the smoke in both tabernacle and temple. This was God--present for the purpose of salvation.

Add to that sacramental presence the person of the prophet--his word and action. See the incarnational, sacramental presence of God reach a high point in the Word made flesh who made His dwelling among us, Jesus Himself. Note that instead of leaving us with no incarnational presence, Jesus instituted and gave the gift of the Lord’s Supper.

God is always present for the purpose of His salvation. Look at baptism. See the living Word of God.

And look at people--believers in Christ. Luther was on the right track. We are “walking sacraments.” We’ve been commanded to go. We’ve been “instituted” to forgive the sins of others. We’re visible and tangible. Believers are God’s sacramental, incarnational presence in the world.

Instead of merely sitting in church waiting for God to show up in the world, we’re called to get out into the world as walking sacraments, as the incarnational “showing up” of God where He is needed most. When God’s redeemed people show up, He shows up. His real presence is made manifest through us to bless the world, to give the world the hope it needs, and to send more “walking sacraments” to people who desperately need to see that God is truly with us!