A Livestream Communion Liturgy During COVID-19

Last updated on: March 17, 2020 at 9:16 pm by Clint Schnekloth

A Livestream Communion Liturgy During COVID-19 2020-03-17T21:16:13-05:00 Clint Schnekloth

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As a result of curve-flattening measures during this pandemic, liturgical worship communities across the country and around the world are experimenting with digitally mediated worship services, primarily broadcast as livestream or podcast.

All portions of such services, including the hymns, prayers, lessons, and sermon, are as easily broadcast via livestream as conducted in person in a church building.

The hangup for many liturgical communities comes with the distribution of communion. Some communions believe that only the ordained pastor can “consecrate” the sacrament. But these same communions are committed to weekly (or even daily) communion.

The following Communion liturgy is specifically a proposal for the communion portion of such liturgies. It assumes that any of the baptized people of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit and gathered in community, can “preside over” or “consecrate” the meal established by Jesus.

Option #1: The week before the liturgy is to be livestreamed, encourage households to have bread and wine on hand. Recommend simple wine or regular bread, or alternatives for health reasons like gluten-free bread or juice. In this e-mail or message, include an easily printable Eucharistic prayer and the Words of Institution and Lord’s Prayer. Invite each household to appoint one person as the presider. This presider reminds everyone during the distribution of the meal to speak to one another, “The body of Christ given for you, the blood of Christ shed for you.”

During the livestream of the worship service, schedule communion for the very end. During the livestream of worship, at the final blessing, extend a blessing for all those presiding at Holy Communion, especially offering words of encouragement for mutual consolation of the saints and conversation after the meal is shared.

Option #2: For communities that value the pastor as “president” of the meal, during the livestream chant the Great Thanksgiving, speak the Eucharistic prayer and the Words of Institution, invite everyone present and online to pray the Lord’s Prayer, and then encourage everyone to trust that the words spoken over the elements extend to wherever they are. “This presider reminds everyone during the distribution of the meal to speak to one another, “The body of Christ given for you, the blood of Christ shed for you.”

Option #3: For communities that desire for the elements to be consecrated directly by the pastor, consecrate a set of individual communion elements for distribution. Place these in a tub or container outside the church and invite all those who wish to receive communion to stop by during the week to pick up the elements. They can keep these at home until the Sunday Eucharistic, at which time they would receive them.

For larger communities, a Facebook Live or Youtube broadcast is probably best. For smaller worship communities, consider hosting the service on Zoom or another video meeting platform, which allows a greater level of interpersonal interaction.

In our local community, we’ll be focusing on option #1. We have a self-starter kind of congregation, so I’m sure people will be fine picking up their own supplies. We may also encourage folks to stop by and borrow a hymnal from the sanctuary for the next few weeks.

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