In reply to Roy Southern.

Your premise is incorrect. Communion is not between "you and Jesus". The idea that the Christian faith, in general is a "between you and God" thing is wrong. This idea is an Americanized, rationalized idea, but not orthodox. We are one body in Christ -- may parts -- but one body. We are called to believe, teach, and confess in common unity, and NOT each person believing as he/she pleases. Closed Communion is one way of training/teaching/disciplining one another into a unity of faith and repentance.

The pastor is given authority through the church by God to open and close communion. It's the same authority he has to forgive and retain forgiveness. It's given to the whole church, and to the pastor for the church (John 22). To say that it isn't the pastor's place to do this is to rob the holy office of its God-given authority.

Now, a pastor cannot simply bar a person from communion because he feels like it or because he doesn't like the person. There are only two reasons for which a pastor MUST -- out of Christian love and concern -- close communion to someone. First, because the person confesses a different doctrine. A non-member is assumed to be out of orthodoxy because he has not been tested by the church. This practice is as old as the church. In the early church, priests and bishops would strictly forbid anyone from receiving the Lord's Supper who was not orthodox, vis., was not catechized and authorized to commune. The deacons would literally escort the unauthorized out of the service and bar the doors before the priest or bishop would continue with the sacrament. This has been the "normal" practice since the time of the Apostles...that is, until America decided that everyone can believe as they please without any sort of theological training or catechesis.

The second reason a pastor is obligated to close communion to a person is if the person is committing wonton/open/unrepentant sin. Even if it's a member of the congregation, if he is committing sin openly and without repentance, the pastor must close communion to him. Again, this is orthodox and Scriptural.

Confession/beliefs and repentance. And, yes, closing communion to a person who is unrepentant or who confesses a different faith than we do might hurt...but it's supposed to! It's meant to bring a person to acknowledge his sin and to bring a person to a right/orthodox/faithful understanding.