ZOOM LITURGY

 Zoom Eucharist has the priest presiding, short hymn of praise, collect, One lesson from the OT, a  hymn or psalm, the Gospel, short homily, break out groups, prayers of the people, the great thanksgiving and everyone at home eating some bread and drinking some wine. The finale is a prayer of corporate thanks, blessing and dismissal.

The celebrant says the Great Thanksgiving (Consecration) for all the people whether in church or at home. They all at home take and eat the bread and drink the wine in Eucharistic fellowship.

The great thanksgiving is said and done for us all everywhere in the immense presence of God in Christ at home and in church. Why limit the real presence to church attendance?

Thanks to Mark Stanger for stretching my imagination remembering the presence God in and though us in all that we do even the Eucharist.

What think ye?

RWC

One thoughtful response.:

At what distance do the prayers consecrating the elements stop working? Is it when the presider is 10 feet from the elements (which I’ve seen many times at large gatherings). Is it 50 feet? 100 feet? 300 feet (some cathedrals are that long, and diocesan conventions are, too)? Would we deny communion to an astronaut if he/she were dying in space and asked for communion one last time? (Obviously only the most Pharisaical of us would say “well, let’s just do Evening Prayer. Sorry.”)

 

When I’m in a Zoom meeting and the Bishop pronounces a blessing to conclude the work, is that blessing only for show? Of course not. Are the feelings I have at that moment simply wishful thinking? Obviously not. Given all that, why on earth would prayers said over Zoom not be effectual? Are we really willing to place some limit on the Holy Spirit’s power related to technology or distance? Of course we aren’t – or shouldn’t be.

 

However, if you just can’t get your arms around the idea, why not bless bread and wine and put it in baggies outside the church? Parishioners can come by, pick it up, and take it home for home communion done on Zoom. That would both give people the sacraments AND create a wonderfully sanctified home environment (which is where we want people experiencing faith anyway).

 

Honestly, this is not a difficult question. It’s just difficult for us to let go of being precious and in control.

Hello! This is what I have been doing every Sunday for six+ months. And what anyone who gave it a moment's thought could have been doing. Forget the Zoom. I can watch the live streamed or recorded video of the worship and make my Spiritual Communion, nobody needs to see my kisser on their monitor. I say or sing the Mass parts along with the celebrant and servers and the words of institution and consume my unleavened corn chip and port wine with a drop of water. BUT, these are not consecrated elements, that requires PRESENCE, my real presence with a priest ordained to consecrate and fellow worshippers. "When two or three are gathered together..." However, for the moment this online Spiritual Communion will do. 

What will not do are these lame Ministry of the Word efforts. The principal worship of ECUSA is the Holy Communion. Why is it not being offered online by every parish? Setting up a Smartphone on a tripod and live streaming or recording a video may be somewhat complex but it is not "rocket science". Many parishes are doing it. There is no difficulty complying with C-19 safety standards in the space of almost all church sanctuaries. What about the rest, even St. John-the-Divine? Are their clergy and staff just too lazy or is ECUSA rife with closet Presbyterians who were just waiting for an excuse to dump the Eucharist? Archbishop Laud, pray for us!

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