Remotely-Distributed Communion

​This Thursday and Sunday, we’ll be sharing communion via our video services. You are absolutely welcome to participate with us if you desire! Nobody is required to; communion is not a law. If you wish to share in communion on Maundy Thursday and Easter, here is what you need to know.
​

1. This is a new way of doing things for us and the church. It probably won’t go perfectly. That’s ok! The first truth we learn about sacraments is that we’re not the center of them. God is with you, in your homes, right now. God’s grace does not depend on our perfection, nor does it diminish with the distance between us.
2. Ideally, you’ll want a piece of bread and a bit of wine. Grape juice is fine. Bread alternatives (even crackers!) are fine. Something grain-related and fruit-related is the idea. If you can’t get bread and wine, God will come to you in whatever elements you can gather.
3. The communion service will be part of our normal video services. Those are available anytime. You are not constrained to communing at a given time of day. Whenever you play the video, you are with us. However…
4. There’s a subtle but important difference in communing in the context of a church service and just communing on your own. Sacraments are meant to unite us and are given for all, together. They’re not just a personal or family ritual. That’s why the pastor usually presides over them: to tell the story of God’s love freely, openly, and for all people. It’s perfectly correct to participate together with the church, via your screens, in your home. Things get icky if we all go around saying, “Wheeee! I am the Master of Communion! Because of my awesome power I bestow communion on YOU and YOU and YOU.” Let’s avoid that for now by communing together, as a church, via these videos, with the people around us in our homes.
5. After the words have been spoken in the video, the general idea is to pick up the bread, break off a piece, and say, “The body of Christ, given for you,” to which the recipient responds, “Amen.” The same thing happens with the wine. “The blood of Christ, shed for you… Amen.” As we say and do these things, we know God is among us, right where we are. Ideally people would commune each other, but if you’re alone in your home, I’ll extend the bread to you on screen and you can take a piece of the bread in front of you, just as if I had handed it to you.
6. ​Before and after the communion service, the bread and wine are just ordinary. That’s the beauty of God’s grace. It takes ordinary things and fills them with love and holiness, just like God takes ordinary people like you and me and makes us bearers of love and holiness. You do not have to purchase special bread or wine to participate. Ordinary will do. The leftover bread and wine are NOT “holy” afterwards. Outside of that sacramental moment we share together, the elements are JUST NORMAL. You may eat/drink the leftovers, save them for later, throw them out…whatever makes sense for you. Please do not think you have special elements to put above your fireplace as talismans. That misrepresents where God is (in things instead of with us).I look forward to being together with you through remotely-distributed communion this week! If you have any questions, let me know. The office number is 208-362-1112 or I can always be reached by email at pastor@sov-id.org or in the comment section below.

--Pastor Dave

---