Gatherings in the church have already aided the proliferation of the virus in many faith communities. Many churches have responded with varying degree of urgency to the coronavirus outbreak. “Social distancing” has significantly altered our Sundays, engaging in prayer, sermon, and offering through the online service. The biggest challenge is around Holy Communion.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism strongly urged us to commune as often as possible as one of the keys of “means of grace.” So, why not simply do communion online, too under the extraordinary crisis when we can’t physically gather together? After praying and researching and consultation with people and fellow pastors, I come to conclusion that I can’t. I believe that we need the real people and the real presence of each other to celebrate the risen Christ. I am willing to accept the way of being a church more embedded in 21
st
century IT culture in the future but not now because I am not yet ready to do online communion.
I am grieving over the fact that I can’t do communion with my gathered church family right now. Thanks be to God that we have an alternative, “The Love Feast, or Agape Meal.” It is a Christian fellowship meal recalling the meals Jesus shared with disciples. “The Love Feast has often been held on occasions when the celebration of the Lord's Supper would be inappropriate, when there is a desire for a service more informal and spontaneous than the communion ritual.”
(Discipleship Ministries of UMC)
Coming Palm Sunday we will share “the Love Feast” during our worship. I want you to prepare bread, crackers, rolls and water, juice or others for your love feast meals at your home worship place. The food is served quietly without interrupting the service. After online service, I want you to share two things with your family as the tradition did:
what God has been doing in your life till now and give thanks to God; the hope and trust you place in God for the future
. “
The Love Feast as an alternative to communion, I believe, may serve us an opportunity for the church scattered to meet together until come back together as the church gathered. The coronavirus crisis is happening during Lent. Lent is a time of fasting, penitence, and prayer. Although we are forced to limit our activities, I realize that this is what Lent requires us among many spiritual practices. “Christ is the Host of the table, not us, not you, not the church. Christ can be present in ways we haven’t even imagined yet.”
(The Online Communion Dilemma, Discipline Ministries of UMC)
Pastor Seok-Hwan
