Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ!
Gathering around the altar table for the distribution of communion is symbolic of our unity in Christ. As we stand and kneel in a large circle surrounding the altar table, it serves as a good visual reminder of of the baptized community to which we belong. It is a foretaste of the continual heavenly banquet in which all the saints rejoice and celebrate.
For safety reasons and out of love for the most vulnerable in our midst, COVID caused us to change the way we celebrated the sacrament. Over the past two years, we used a variety of distribution methods. We shared communion online using ZOOM. In the Fellowship Hall, using a hybrid worship, we served communion on trays to pre-registered, masked participants that we separated into family groups. In the parking lot and sanctuary we handed out pre-filled portions of bread and wine at the start of worship and shared the sacrament all at once at the appropriate time. All of these methods allowed us to receive the nourishment of Christ’s life, Body, and Blood during the challenging circumstances of a pandemic.
Now, with the COVID COMMUNITY LEVEL at LOW, we are at a place where we can resume gathering around the altar for the distribution of communion. For those who wish to remain in the pew to receive communion, we will offer that option. Our target Sunday for returning to an altar distribution is Easter, April 17.
As with other ministry practices that are restarting, we need a few things to happen first. We need to take two important steps by April 1, and we need your help.
1) Reconstitute an Altar Guild. For the past two years, we have not had either Communion Set Up/Clean up teams or Altar Guild teams. For years, these groups helped us literally to set the table for communion. Looking ahead, these groups will be combined into a single team - our new Altar Guild.
We need at least five teams of two people each to care for/change the altar paraments, light the sanctuary light, set up communion vessels and elements, clean up after worship, and launder linens. Taking part in the Altar Guild is a once a month commitment that can be done according to your schedule, as long as things are ready to go for Sunday morning.
Since we’ve combined tasks from previous groups and we have new procedures to introduce, all those who wish to serve as part of this new team will need training. The training will be in April at a time that works for those who sign up.
Whether you have served on the Altar Guild or Communion Set Up/Clean Up teams before or not, we could use your help so that we can return to this meaningful practice of altar distribution. Would you consider volunteering to be one of the 10 people that we need for our new Altar Guild?
2. Recruit Communion Servers. In addition to those who make things ready for communion, there is a need for folks to serve communion. We need at least five teams of four people to distribute communion wine at the altar. Volunteering as a Communion Server is a once a month commitment that occurs during the 9:30 a.m. worship time.
Although we have had persons serve in this capacity in the past, with new procedures to share, all those who wish to serve in this role will need training. The training will be in April at a time that works for those who sign up.
Whether you have served as a Communion Server before or not, we could use your help so that we can return to this meaningful practice of altar distribution. Would you consider volunteering to be one of the 20 people that we need for Communion Servers?
I look forward to the day that we will once again gather around the Altar Table to share communion together. What a joy it will be if that could happen for Easter! Let me know by April 1 if you can be a part of the people and passion that we need to make it a reality.
As always, I can’t wait to greet you in worship this weekend whether it is at 8:00 a.m. in the sanctuary or parking lot, at 9:30 a.m. in the sanctuary or livestream, or whenever you choose to worship online on our YouTube channel.
In Christ’s Light,
Pastor Walt