allsaintsjonesboro Why We Do What We Do

Receiving the Body of Christ with Reverence

This post is part of a new “Why We Do What We Do” series, explaining the biblical and historic practices of the Church.

FROM THE EARLIEST CENTURIES OF THE CHURCH, Christians have approached the Holy Sacrament with fear, love, and deep reverence. The way we receive the Body of Christ is never a matter of mere technique or personal preference but must take into account what Scripture says is actually happening in the Supper. Our bodily posture confesses what we believe about who Christ is, who we are, and what He is giving in this most holy gift.

Holy Scripture consistently teaches that man is by nature sinful and unclean and so unworthy to handle the holy things of God. This confession is not meant to shame the faithful, but to tell the truth about our condition apart from Christ. The prophet Isaiah, when brought into the presence of the Lord, does not congratulate himself for drawing near. Instead, he cries out, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips.” Only after a seraph touches his lips with a burning coal from the altar does he hear the Gospel: “Now your guilt is removed, and your sin forgiven” (Isaiah 6:5–7).

The Church has long understood this passage as a powerful image of the Holy Sacrament. The forgiveness of sins is not achieved by Isaiah’s effort or worthiness. It is delivered to him by God, from the altar, through an appointed servant. In the same way, Christ places His own Body upon the lips of His people, forgiving sins and cleansing the unclean. Receiving the Host on the tongue vividly confesses this biblical reality: we do not take Christ for ourselves; He gives Himself to us.

This confession is further reinforced by the Church’s historic practice of the lavabo—the washing of the celebrant’s fingers. The celebrant’s hands are not holy by nature, but are set apart by the Word of God and prayer for the handling of the Sacrament. As Psalm 26 declares, “I wash my hands in innocence and go around Your altar, O Lord.” The Church has therefore guarded the handling of the consecrated Host with care, not out of superstition, but out of reverent faith in Christ’s true presence.

Receiving the Body of Christ on the tongue beautifully embodies the Gospel itself. In the Sacrament, we contribute nothing. We bring no work, no worthiness, no act of devotion sufficient to earn what is given. We simply open our mouths, like beggars before a merciful Lord, and receive what He promises. This posture teaches us again that salvation is by grace alone, given freely for Christ’s sake.

For these reasons, the Church has consistently preferred reception of the Host on the tongue as the clearest confession of reverence, humility, and faith in Christ’s gift. While the Church does not bind consciences with an absolute requirement, she does encourage practices that best teach and protect the faith. To receive on the tongue is to let the body confess what the heart believes: that Christ alone acts, Christ alone gives, and Christ alone forgives sins in His holy Sacrament.

Series: Why We Do What We Do

Understanding the theology, Scripture, and historic practice of Christian worship at All Saints.

In this series:

allsaintsjonesboro Sermons

Your Life Isn’t Yours

A sermon for the Sunday within the Octave of Epiphany, by Fr. Dan Suelzle.

The Church is the body of Christ; a holy and set apart community who recognize that we are not our own. All that we have and all that we are is a pure gift from our merciful Father. In light of this, we offer our bodies as a living, holy, and acceptable sacrifice to God. Such a sacrifice takes tangible shape in the life of the Church as we are about our Father’s business. Rather than being conformed to the things of this world, we instead rejoice that our minds have been renewed and transformed, which has profound implications for how we live. We speak forgiveness to one another; we gather around the gifts of Word and Sacrament; we encourage and uplift one another with God’s promises—all because of the merciful sacrifice of Christ our Lord for us. Listen to the entire sermon below.

allsaintsjonesboro Sermons

The Epiphany of Our Lord

Epiphany proclaims that Christ is revealed to the nations, and that the Gospel must continue to go out—and be heard. From the visit of the magi to the Church’s gathering today, Epiphany teaches where Jesus is to be found and why His presence matters.

Just as King Herod sought to destroy the Christ Child, the devil still works to keep people from Jesus—not always through open persecution, but through distraction, busyness, and complacency. The danger is not usually dramatic, but subtle: the idea that worship can wait, that gathering around Word and Sacrament is optional, or that Christ can be found just as easily elsewhere. Yet the Scriptures warn that the devil prowls, and Christians are called to be watchful and to resist him.

The magi traveled great distances to worship the incarnate Lord. Their journey exposes how easily modern Christians can be tempted to treat Christ’s presence casually, even though He promises to be truly present for His people in the preaching of the Gospel and in the Holy Sacraments. Around the world, believers still risk everything to gather where Christ is, knowing that His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation are worth any cost.

Epiphany calls Christians to renounce the devil and all his ways, to resist complacency, and to rejoice in the reality that Jesus is not merely an idea or a feeling, but truly present where He has promised to be. Like the magi, the faithful are invited to come, to bow down, and to worship—bringing gifts of thanksgiving and support for the ongoing proclamation of the Gospel—rejoicing that Christ continues to dwell among His people.