Over the years, I have returned repeatedly to the writings of Justin Martyr (c. 100-165 AD) about the ancient church's worship life. Of course, one can immediately see in his writings that the practice of Eucharistic fellowship only for the properly prepared and rightly confessing is not a wacky quirk of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. It was also practiced by the infant church (even apart from its biblical character). There is also a clear sense of liturgical order in Justin's wonderful description of the worship of the ancient church. Justin puts the lie to the contention that the ancient church was basically an informal social gathering that broke into occasional teachings, choruses of Kum-Ba-Yah, and ecstatic prayer. Justin names the presiding minister as being in charge of the service; a liturgical order, which he repeats for emphasis: a collection of an offering, specific Scripture readings, exposition of the Word of God in a sermon, a eucharistic offering to God's people and specific prayers. This sounds familiar, doesn't it?

I have begun to pay greater attention to what Justin says about prayer. Perhaps he highlights something that has gone missing from our practice and understanding of prayer; especially the corporate prayer of the church, namely, what is the meaning of the word "Amen?" If you polled any group of Christians about the meaning of the word, they would be hard pressed to tell you what it meant. The best they could probably do would be that "Amen" means the prayer is over: "the end." And yet, in our common speech we use the word "Amen" in the exact way that it is meant when the church uses it. When someone says something with which we absolutely agree, we will say, "Amen" to it. When we say "Amen" in the divine service we are assenting to and agreeing with what has been said. Amen is simply the Hebrew that means, "Yes, this is true."

Today, we too easily give our assent to all manner of words. This was not always so. To assent in this way is to become a willing participant in what is being said. This makes corporate prayer one's own. The presiding minister speaks; it becomes mine when I solemnly add the Amen. The ancient world more carefully guarded that assent than we do. In our media-driven society all manner of mad speech comes from the mouths of those who ought to know better. And we accept what they say and assent to it in the process. Words have very little value today, perhaps because there are far too many being produced (and maybe you would include these words here written). However, when the divine speech is God's or is addressed to God it demands our assent, just because God is the speaker or the hearer. Since God is true in all He says, we must assent to it: "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory" (2Co 1:20).

"No one is allowed to partake of the Eucharist except he who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. We do not receive these as common bread and common drink. As Jesus Christ our Savior, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise we have been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by metamorphosis are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh. For the apostles, in the accounts composed by them, which are called Gospels, have delivered to us what was enjoined upon them: that Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, said, "Do this in remembrance of Me. This is My body; " and that, after the same manner, having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, "This is My blood;" and gave it to them alone.