'Virtual Communion'
With churches unable to meet in one place during the Coronavirus restrictions, many are considering what they might do in terms of sharing communion.
Here we share some reflections and ideas:
Scattered yet gathered
Simon Woodman (minister of Bloomsbury Baptist Church) has written a reflection on the sharing of virtual communion.
His own church will be sharing communion together in their online gathering, and Simon has shared the liturgy which he has prepared.
Can we celebrate an online Eucharist? A Baptist response
Steve Holmes (Baptist minister and theologian at St Mary's College, St Andrew's) has posted a couple of blogs about an online Eucharist from a Baptist perspective - one strongly for it, the other answering some objections. Click the following links to access these blogs:
Virtual Communion in the URC
The URC's Faith and Order Committee and their General Secretary have issued some guidelines for URC churches which contains some helpful guidance for churches which are a Local Ecumenical Partnership (LEP). It is helpful for Baptist churches which are part of an LEP to make clear that they are offering a Baptist Communion. Click here to access the guidelines.
Communion online
Regional Minister Carl Smethurst (South West Baptist Association) has put together an online communion service. Sometimes circumstances mean we can't gather with others as we would choose to share Communion together. He hopes that this simple online Communion service might enable us to feel connected as God's Church spiritually, even if we can't meet together in person. Please find some bread and wine (or whatever you prefer) before you play this video.