Zoom Holy Communion
A Note from Pastor Erin:I'm excited to share with you plans for St. Luke's to celebrate communion together, online on Zoom. Please join us on Sunday, August 23rd from 11:00-11:30 a.m. on Zoom for a brief service of Holy Communion. Online Worship will still be at 10:10 a.m. on Facebook as usual.If you've been following the conversation on communion in our wider church, you know that we have been wrestling with how to celebrate this communal meal, the centerpiece of our worship life during normal times. The conversations have raised questions such as:How do we experience the presence of Christ in an online mode of worship?Is it possible for communion to be a radical, redistributive meal--when we're each eating in our own homes?How can communion be accessible for all members of our community?Where is the body of Christ being broken open in the world around us?St. Luke's has been wrestling with these questions and more, and we've been in conversation with our synod and wider church community too. (Check out this online panel, "Communion & COVID: Eucharistic Practices and Perspectives"hosted by the Metro Chicago Synod and LSTC.)And the conversation isn't over. Even though we're sharing communion this month on Zoom, we will continue to be in discernment together about what communion means for us, how it feels in this new mode, and how God is calling us to share the sacrament during this time of pandemic.Please mark your calendars for August 23rd from 11:00-11:30 a.m. on Zoom. You can find the Zoom information in your email from St. Luke's, or email pastorerin@stlukesls.org if you're joining us for the first time.You are invited to make special preparations to celebrate communion together. This may involve setting a special place at the table, lighting a candle, and gathering the communion elements that you'll use. You can use bread and wine/juice from your pantry, or you can sign up here to participate in a Communion Bread Share and make, deliver, and/or receive communion bread from your friends at St. Luke's. The deadline to sign up is Wednesday, August 19th.If you do use elements from home, try to find a simple, staple grain and a festive drink. The bread could be a slice of bread from a loaf in your pantry, a plain cracker, or any grain that you find common to your ordinary life. The drink could be a small pour of wine from a bottle, a mini bottle like you can buy at the store, or a small amount of grape juice or other juice made from fruit. Gather just a small amount of each.For those who are unable to access Zoom, we will arrange socially-distanced communion visits. Please email me (pastorerin@stlukesls.org) and let me know if you'd like to receive a visit, or if you'd like to serve as a communion minister.In hopeful expectation of our celebration of the Lord's Supper,Pastor Erin