I don’t like missing a meal. For one, I just enjoy food too much for that. But that’s not the only reason. I like food because my body needs it. I can feel the difference when I go without it. I get tired. I get grumpy. I just feel drained. I need food for my physical nourishment.

It’s no accident that God uses a meal as a way of teaching us about his grace. The Lord’s Supper is a physical sign and seal of a spiritual truth. God is the one who nourishes us. One of the hardest things about worship this year has been going for so long without communion. It’s an important sacrament. God gave it to us for a reason! So, the session has been discussing when and how to resume communion and are happy to announce that it’s time to come back to the table.

It’s the same supper we’ve celebrated together for years, but it’ll look a little bit different. Please take the time to read this whole post so that you’re up to speed. On August 30, we’re going to resume communion with two brief communion services. Each one should take around fifteen minutes.

The first one will be immediately after worship on Sunday morning. After the benediction, any Christian who attends service in person is invited to stick around and come to the table.

The second one will be at 4:00 PM that afternoon. Weather permitting, we plan to hold this service outdoors so that those who are concerned about groups indoors can partake as well. If you’re interested in attending this service, we ask you to sign up here so that we can plan accordingly.

This likely raises some questions, so I’d like to answer a few from the start. However, please feel free to reach out to me or any of the elders if you have other questions.

Communion? Wonderful! How often are we going to do this?

We’re only planning on August 30 right now, but our hope is to increase the frequency. The session will get together and discuss how things went so we can make any necessary adjustments. Stay tuned.

Why not just do it during Sunday service?

One of the themes we’ve repeated since we started our livestream back in March is that, even though we’re not physically together, we continue to worship together. This “togetherness” is important! We all know the limitations of technology, but it’s important to remember that we’re still one family bound up together through faith in Christ.

A fair number of people are attending in-person services, but the majority of our congregation is still worshipping on the livestream. Therefore, we decided not to have an element of worship in the Sunday livestream that the majority of people could not participate in. The Supper is something that highlights our unity in Christ and we don’t want it to communicate separation.

How will the bread and cup be distributed?

We have ordered a stock of individual sealed bread and juice that we’ll be using. If you come on Sunday morning, we’ll have them out on the table as you enter. Please take the elements with you to your seat and you’ll be instructed what to do when the time comes. If you come on Sunday afternoon, you’ll see a similar table set up for you to take the elements with you to your seat.

I’m excited to resume this precious part of our worship together. I have been longing for this day and I know that many of you have too. I hope you’re able to celebrate with us on August 30!