The less said explaining the sacraments, the better. Pastors administer the sacraments, and people want to know what they mean, so we do need to explain them. But for the most part I just let the sacraments be. They have their own power. They are older than we are, more important than we are, more powerful than we are, and they will be in the church, serving the church and God’s people, long after we are gone. Our job is to administer them as humble servants, prudently, with all the respect, order and modesty they deserve. […]
Sacraments are funny things. They are short and simple, they involve the simplest elements in our environment, and they require few words. The more we get out of the way the better. Yet they change people. People remember them for their whole lives.