What is his dissertation about?
The Lord's Supper - 290+ pages!
I would like to sometime read a copy of your pastors thesis on the Lords Supper. I am always interested in learning more about the Reformed Protestant beliefs about the Lords Supper. I am a Presbyterian since 2007. I was raised a Roman catholic however.
I just finished reading the article on sacraments by Francis Turetin; From Institutes in Elentic Theology by Francis Turretin.
It helped to clarify my thinking as a Protestant. A lot of the problems I was having with the word sacrament and particularly The Lords Supper was the fault of the false and erroneous teachings I was brainwashed with as a Roman catholic. The article helped me to understand the notion and thinking of the "sacraments " of the Lords Supper and Baptism , the only two sacraments to begin with in the sense it is meant as a Presbyterian Protestant "second, in particular of baptism and the holy Supper, which are the two sacraments of the New Testament instituted by Christ; third, of the five false and spurious ones added by Romanists"
“Still we do not recognize in the signs any implanted or inherent power by which they either act upon grace or on any quality of the soul, whether we call it a stamp or anything similar. For as the sound of the spoken word at length striking the ears and the air does not strike the heart by any power inherent in itself; so neither does the external sign possess any power to affect the soul, but only strikes the senses“.
I believe that the Lords Supper is a memorial of Christ’s Supper and not a sacrifice anew as it is in Roman Catholicism, but a remembrance of the one and only needed sacrifice on Calvary by Jesus for all who believe in Him. I believe Christ becomes present in the communion as we receive the elements faithfully but how he becomes present is a mystery of the infinite and cannot be defined by finite man, which is why I do not any longer accept the Roman catholic teaching of transubstantiation. I do believe as John Calvin taught that we ascend to the Father in heaven in remembering His Sons sacrifice and in celebrating the Lords Supper as He commanded it be done " To do this in remembrance of Me". I believe I experience a reception of a "Personal Jesus" when I take of the communion bread and wine at the Presbyterian communion service.
The Lords Supper service in the Presbyterian fold allowed me also to experience a fellowship and of being "in fellowship" instead of merely "going to church." or just "going to mass" as I use to often say when I was a Roman catholic. I now dislike the phrase "going to church" because it implies the church is a building, when the Bible says the church is the people who know Christ. But even if we change "going to church" to "attending the Gospel Teaching or the liturgy of the word and the Lords Supper or Communion" there is still a big difference between this and being "in fellowship." To me now "Fellowship" means sharing something in common. To be in fellowship with other Christians means that you are regularly sharing your common relationship with Christ with other Christians: discussing what you are learning from his Word, sharing how he is changing your life, talking to Christ together, urging each other to stay faithful to Christ, working together to serve others, showing appropriate affection toward one another, etc.
I believe we experience Christ’s presence in the Lords Supper because of our fellowship and our faith in Him alone. It is through scripture alone we learn of the Lords Supper and How He becomes present is a mystery of the infinite and can not be explained by finite men. It is why I now reject the Roman catholic teaching of transubstantiation. I believe Calvin’s teaching that we ascend to Him and the father in heaven and he becomes present because of that faith we have in Him alone, b y Gods Grace alone in Christ alone for the greater Glory of God alone.
In Edinburgh explore the city's gory past by going to Mary King's Close or do a night time ghosts and ghouls tour. The Edinburgh festival and military tattoo will probably be over by the time you visit. Enjoy some time to hang out in Princes Street Gardens. Grab a sandwich and some other goodies from Marks and Spencer on Princes St and then head to the Gardens- weather permitting.
