Dear Epiphany Church Family,
THIS IS A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT OUR LIVESTREAM AND RECORDED VIDEO WORSHIP SERVICE ON SUNDAY MARCH 29. We will be celebrating Holy Communion together as a church family. THERE IS SOME NEEDED PREPARATION ON YOUR PART IN ORDER FOR YOU TO PARTICIPATE.
PREPARING TO PARTICIPATE IN HOLY COMMUNION - Each household that desires to receive Holy Communion during the livestream video should place a plate with bread and enough cups of wine (or juice) for those who are communing on a table. The Pastor will provide an invitation for those communing to eat the bread and to drink the wine/juice. All are welcome to share in this meal believing that Jesus Christ is present with us, with the promise of forgiving our sins and uniting us as one body and family of God's people. A prayer with laying on of hands may be spoken with children who do not yet commune, making the sign of the cross on their foreheads with the words, "Jesus loves you. May God bless and keep you in the promise of your baptism."
Additional Guidelines:
BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE BULLETIN that will be available on the FaceBook page and the church website, so that you can follow along, saying responses and singing. You can print it out or pull it up on your cell phone.
The form of bread you choose is up to you. I included a series of communion bread recipes (unleavened bread) in the March 25 edition of the Proclaimer. There should be at least a small piece of bread for each participant in the household. Another alternative is for each participant to tear a piece off of a larger chunk of bread. However, we will be eating the bread all at once, so you may want to tear off pieces while we are singing "Lamb of God."
The type of wine (or juice) that you choose is up to you. Wine is preferable. You may use grape juice or another form of juice, if you like. It should in small glasses or cups so that everyone can pick it up to drink simultaneously. It is not necessary to drink all of the wine/juice at the time that we are communing together. You may drink the rest of it after the worship service as you are gathered together in your home.
Place the bread and wine/juice on a table that is accessible to everyone who is gathered, so that they pick up the bread and wine, as we do so simultaneously.
Why are we sharing Holy Communion on livestream recorded video? (referred to by some as "virtual communion") I probably don't need to remind you that these are extraordinary times, when we have been advised not to gather together for our own well being. With these restrictions, after some extended reflection and discussion with other pastoral colleagues, correspondence with the SC Synod Office, and members of Epiphany (who expressed how they missed sharing in communion together as a church family), in my mind this is the best way to do it, acknowledging that it is the power of God's Word spoken as we ARE gathered together albeit in a "virtual" way. It is the blessing of modern technology that allows us to be united as we speak the promise of Jesus' words in our Eucharistic Prayer and experience how we are made ONE by God's Spirit! What some of may not realize, is that there is nothing magical about the type of bread and wine/juice (we have made it ourselves or bought it from the store) that we use in communion. It is God's Word that makes it special to us, so that when we hear, "The body of Christ given for you," and "The blood of Christ shed for you," we remember Jesus' death and resurrection, and how we are united as ONE BODY of God's people. We are forgiven and promised the life that God only gives! What an exciting and meaningful way for us to stay connected as a church family during this time when we are told that is best that we not gather together in one place. Even COVID-19 restrictions cannot keep us apart! Thanks be to God!
Some of you have asked why the service has come up at 9am (before the 10am time) on Sunday mornings or at 5pm (before the 7pm time) on Wednesday nights. We are actually livestreaming it at these earlier times (if you care to watch it) so that we can download and post it to the other non-livestream format for others who don't use Facebook. We will leave the Holy Communion part of the service up for 24 hours, due to the "real time" nature of its words of blessing as a sacrament of the church.
We continue to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak and follow the recommendations of the CDC and SCDHEC. Most all of our gatherings and activities are canceled/postponed through this Sunday, March 29, and most likely will remain so for the coming weeks. Council will be re-evaluating and making ongoing decisions this coming week and we will be notifying you.
We have tried to stay connected as a church family in the following ways:
- Wednesday night and Sunday morning worship services have been offered electronically via video on-line (LIVESTREAM on the Epiphany Lutheran Rock Hill Facebook Page and posted on Church Website under Worship Service Videos - see below for details and links).
- Making phone calls to check on people whom we feel may have need and connecting them up with our Ministry of Support (see details below).
Here are some of the ways that we can stay connected in the days and months ahead:
- Epiphany's Congregational Life MLT has organized a ministry of support in running errands for persons of high risk (elderly and those with health conditions) to offer assistance such as shopping and going to the pharmacy. If you have a need for this help or know others who do, contact Christia Humburg (christia@fmhm.org or 803-370-1010) or the church office. Volunteers are also encouraged to call to offer their time and help.
- Hallowed Hands Prayer Team and Prayer Requests - If you have a prayer request you can contact Julie Waldrop (360-903-0719) or call the church office.
- Daily Video Devotion from the SC Synod Office - Click this link for the SC Synod Facebook page that will provide a daily weekday video devotion each Tuesday at 10AM (available anytime afterwards) https://www.facebook.com/scsynod
- We will be videotaping a Service of Message and Music on Wednesday nights (at 7:00pm; available anytime afterwards) and a version of our Sunday Morning Worship Service (at 10:00am; available anytime afterwards). These services will be posted at Epiphany Facebook Page and on Epiphany's Website . A COPY OF SUNDAY'S BULLETIN WILL BE AVAILABLE on these pages to follow along. If you need tech assistance to figure out how to view these videos, you may contact James Brooks (803-325-4024) or Margaret Gillikin (803-673-3441).
- Daily Lenten Devotion Emails - If you would like an inspirational daily devotion, I recommend Luther Seminary God Pause Lenten Devotion.
- Upcoming Holy Week/Easter Services - Council will discuss how we might recognize and celebrate Holy Week and Easter. We will likely not be able to do so as a physically gathered community. There could be some possibility for an outdoor service. We will be learning about ideas from other NC and SC Lutheran Churches.
If we can help you with anything don't hesitate to call me
(kennethgillikin@gmail.com ; 803-627-0443) or contact our Ministry of Support
(
christia@fmhm.org or 803-370-1010). Lets stay connected as a church family and as the Body of Christ!
God's peace and strength,
Pastor Gillikin
