Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Instructions for the Remote celebration of Communion on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021

 1.  For the New Year.  We shall be celebrating communion in person and remotely for our service on January 3, 2021.  For everyone who comes in person, we have the individual servings that come pre-sealed.  For people participating remotely, we shall be using the model that our Presbytery used at their last Presbytery meeting.

 
We ask everyone who is watching and wishes to participate to prepare for themselves the resources in the safety of their own home.  This is the bread and the wine.  The bread, for us, is usually white bread cubed or a roll that we tear up for the process.  The rule of thumb is that the kind of bread should be appropriate to the location to where communion is being served.  So what is appropriate to each household is appropriate to communion.
 
In the sanctuary, we celebrate with grape juice.  The reason for this is because of those who might have an issue with alcohol and for the participation, without debate, of our underaged members.  For those who have an issue with alcohol, it has been demonstrated that even the smell of wine can be a trigger and we, as a community of faith, are sensitive to the needs of all our members.  In the privacy of one's home, the use of wine or of grape juice are both appropriate to the Ordering of Worship in the Church.  Traditionally it is red wine or grape juice, but that is not something in the Ten Commandments or anything.
 
We ask that each household prepare the resources and we will take time in the remote service for each to be shared by our extended church family.  Please find attached our statement of principles in partaking of the Lord's Supper.

This was the body of an email sent to those on the mailing list to view the service remotely.  We share it here for all who may be following us on YouTube or Facebook.

Peace,
Rev. Peter Hofstra  
 

No comments:

Post a Comment