Who We Are

I think that it is time for us to begin celebrating the Holy Eucharist at St. Paul’s again. I have mixed feelings about that, and, if you have read what I have written or seen the classes I have taught about Communion in this time of pandemic, you know just how mixed those feelings are. Holy Communion is not about individuals receiving the body and blood of Christ in order that they might receive the grace of God’s forgiveness and union with God. It is about the entire Body of Christ—all of us—receiving that body and blood so that, together, we might receive God’s grace and be united to each other as we are united with God. It is about the Body of Christ receiving the body of Christ in order to become more fully what we already are, which is the Body of Christ.

So why, in a time when we are still unable to gather even in small groups, when communion with each other is not only unadvised but dangerous, would we make Eucharist the principal expression of our worship? Because, even when we are apart and even when we are unable to receive Communion physically, the celebration of the Holy Eucharist can be a visible and spiritual reminder that the same God who sent God’s Son to be among us as the incarnate Word holds us together in real and meaningful ways by the Holy Spirit. In other words, even when we cannot receive the bread and wine, Communion itself is a way for us to connect with God and each other.

The question that I have wrestled with and continue to struggle with is the extent to which watching the Holy Eucharist is an effective means of conveying that truth. Not long ago, the bishop only allowed the priest who presided at the altar to receive Communion, which meant that anyone else in church—even the few people who come to St. Paul’s to lead worship on Sunday mornings—would have to watch someone else take Communion. To me, that made what would happen at the altar an image of exclusion rather than the communion it is intended to portray. Now that the bishop has allowed those who gather to receive the bread and now that there is a plan in place to resume in-person worship when the spread of the coronavirus abates, celebrating Communion feels less like an act of performance art and more like a communal act.

We must recognize, however, that our congregation still cannot gather in person, cannot hold out their hands to receive the bread, cannot assemble as the people of God. For most of us, Communion will remain something that we watch instead of something that we receive. For some, that might deepen the painful experience of separation and exclusion that we are enduring because of the pandemic. As one staff member described it, watching others receive Communion could feel like salt in a wound. I hope, however, that that sting might give way to a newfound peace. A few of you have shared stories about watching livestreamed Communion services in other parishes, like the National Cathedral, and experiencing at first a profound sense of isolation but, after a few Sundays, a spiritual connection despite physical distance. I hope that will be the case for our congregation as well.

Starting this Sunday, instead of Morning Prayer, we will gather virtually for Holy Eucharist. When it is time for those who have gathered in person to receive the consecrated bread, we will pray the prayer for spiritual communion as a way for those watching the livestream to join us at the altar even though they cannot be physically present. I hope that the familiar words of the eucharistic liturgy bring you comfort. I hope that this is a sign for you not of our separation but of our progress toward coming back together. I hope that you find grace in our worship even though that worship cannot be complete until we are able to gather together again.

Yours Faithfully,

Evan