A Word from Pastor Lisa: On Communion
So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.
—Romans 12:5 (NRSV)
One of the deep joys of ministry is presiding at the communion table, breaking bread and sharing the cup with all of God’s people. I love looking into the expectant eyes of young children and placing bread into wrinkled hands. I see tears in the eyes of someone grieving a loss. I witness well-worn saints and newcomers to the faith standing in line together. I experience a stunningly holy moment as people of different racial backgrounds, political persuasions, sexual orientations, and genders and gender identities become one Body in Christ.
That’s why it’s deeply painful to me that we have not experienced holy communion together since March. While we have generally agreed upon our understanding of holy communion, our denomination has been debating online communion ever since technology made it a possibility. Prior to the pandemic, many United Methodists had generally avoided online communion. Others claimed online communion is a way to extend the sacrament to those beyond the ways of the church. Digital media has become a “third place” (home and work being the first two) where people connect, so it’s only natural that to remain culturally relevant, we would need to move our mission field and sacraments there. During this pandemic, online community and livestreaming have become our primary way of connecting as church. So should we move holy communion there as well?
Some other pastors and churches have said “yes,” and they have moved in that direction with permission from their leaders and judicatories. I honor their decisions for their contexts. Pastor Teri and I have spent some time praying and discussing what’s best for First Methodist. We have decided to fast from holy communion until we can be together again for in-person worship. Here are two of the reasons why from Bishop Ken Carter’s 2014 presentation to the Committee of Faith and Order:
Holy communion is tangible. We eat the bread and drink the juice/wine in a context led by an authorized representative of the church. While we believe the Holy Spirit is not confined to a space and can bless anyone anywhere, we do believe communion is an embodied, incarnational experience. To deny this, says Bishop Carter, is to return to the heresy of Gnosticism, which separated spirit and flesh, prioritizing the spirit.
Holy communion is a communal act. We need face-to-face accountability and support, as the apostle Paul points out in Romans. We are individually members of each other. Bishop Carter reminds us the communion meal is connected to physical community and our care for one another. Our Great Thanksgiving liturgy includes confession, forgiveness, and passing the peace to each other before the elements are blessed and we receive. How is this sense of community achieved online? You could point out that our service is livestreamed, so we are still worshiping simultaneously. These acts happen in “real time” together. But what about people who watch the recording of worship later in the week? Would their celebration of holy communion by themselves still be part of our “live” community? It gets complicated quickly.
That’s why for this pandemic season, we have chosen to fast from communion. As we return to in-person worship in small stages, we hope eventually to offer communion again. We are still working out the details, but we know it won’t seem the same as before. We want to retain the “materiality” of the experience while also keeping participants and servers healthy and safe. We also recognize not everyone will feel comfortable returning to church, and so part of the Body will feel missing.
We appreciate your prayers for our strength as a Body, our unity as a church, and our discernment about next steps around holy communion. Until we’re breaking bread together again, may we join our hearts in the words from the Great Thanksgiving: “Make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world.”