I said last Lord’s Day that I have enjoyed thinking about how to lead and serve our flock in these days. I have continued to do a lot of different reading, the elders have continued to have a lot of different discussions and make a variety of decisions in uncharted waters. We don’t want to put any of the flock in unnecessary harm, though we don’t have complete data, both about the virus and about the government’s handling of the virus.
Last Sunday we fit under the WA State restriction of 250 people. The following day that number was lowered to 50, and the CDC’s recommendation is currently for no groups larger than 10. We have asked ourselves, as churches all over the world have asked, “What should we do?”
We are not unique as a local church, but we are in a unique context. Never have so many nations, through such ubiquitous (and unrelenting) media coverage, given so much focus to one thing. Likewise, no generation of believers has had such technology for sake of recording, and even livestreaming, their services.
As if the previous parts of today’s service haven’t been awkward, gathering around the Lord’s Table has been a specific question. If we thought this ordinance was better remembered once a quarter, during an evening service, well, it’d be easy to wait. Even some of the churches who celebrate weekly communion have chosen against including that part of the liturgy until the church can be together again (here’s one example, here’s another).
I get that. Perhaps some of you who are listening believe that a non-geographically gathered gathering isn’t an official gathering, and so a non-communing communion is false.
If we had a larger congregation, and if consequently the shepherds had less of an idea of the spiritual condition, or if we were a church that regularly had a lot of visitors, or if we had a church that seemed to take for granted gathering together, these would be arguments against.
But the elders have called the assembly to assemble, during exceptional circumstances in an exceptional way. This is not normal. If you are participating at this moment, then we are participating together in a less than ideal way, but it is not a fictional way either. I can’t see all of you, but I am thinking about you.
Apart from additional arguments, we believe that it is a better service to the flock to celebrate “distance” communion, but this is not the same as “private” communion. You are not doing it on your own, though you are doing it in your home. If you enjoy it better this way, then that would be bad.
Let us pray that this is a short season. Let us pray for Christ to unify His people. Let us pray for Him to bring us together in every way.