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As of 18 March, the leaders of MLC, after prayerful consultations, have determined to change our services because of the COVID-19 concern. On Sunday, w e will provide a Matins service online for you to participate in. Sunday School, Bible Studies, and Lenten services beginning next week are all cancelled until further notice.

This evening's service will continue as planned. Bulletins are printed in such a way so that hymn books never have to be touched. We encourage those who attend today to sit in a scattered pattern throughout out the worship space.

Beginning on Sunday, we will offer communion services every day at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. Both the chalice and the individual cups will be available to every communicant. Of course we will take every precaution available to us to be as clean as possible.You must sign up for those services by using Sign Up Genius , so we can keep the groups below 10 people per service. We also ask you not to sign up for more than one service per week. We will add daily services to meet the demand.

If you have any symptoms of illness, you should stay at home.

Those who consider themselves "at risk" are free to make up their own minds about whether they should attend these daily services. Christians are free to determine the best course of action for themselves. The conditions seem to be changing hourly, and so we beg your patience as we sort through the options. We will make the decisions that we think are best for our community and God's people, making the best of a bad situation. We will keep you informed on a regular basis.

The pastors will also be offering a short daily video devotion to encourage God's people. These devotions will be available online. Watch for those in the days to come.

Please follow the cleanliness guidelines and keep praying for the health of the community and the full recovery of those who have been stricken by COVID-19.

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I was scheduled to go to communion in a couple of days and they just made the decision to cancel all communion services.

We are now fasting from the Lord's Supper. It makes me sick to my stomach.

Does a priest have to administer the Lord's Supper for you?

yes

I find this to be an interesting crossroads of faith. One one hand, I can see the serious of 1 Cor charge to Christians. On the other, if I am to believe that Eucharist is as important as it is, I can't see how entire denominations have given up so easily.

it feels like more weight is being put on Paul's words that Christ's.

I would have assumed a "global consecration" or something would have been issued (such that one could take the Eurcharist with whatever materials you have on hand) before the outright ceasing of the activity.

Every time I see it, it is heavily prefaced with being in submission to local authorities.
We are to comply with what the government is asking us to do.
Now, how long that lasts until we start saying that we must partake in the eucharist again, I don't know.

If they were telling us not to have church because Christianity is bad, we certainly wouldn't comply. This is not the same.

I would really struggle with the idea of a e-communion where I have my own wine and bread/wafers and accept that it has been... virtually consecrated. I think things would have to get pretty dire before I would be okay with that.

diehard03 said:

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I find this to be an interesting crossroads of faith. One one hand, I can see the serious of 1 Cor charge to Christians. On the other, if I am to believe that Eucharist is as important as it is, I can't see how entire denominations have given up so easily.

it feels like more weight is being put on Paul's words that Christ's.

I would have assumed a "global consecration" or something would have been issued (such that one could take the Eucharist with whatever materials you have on hand) before the outright ceasing of the activity.

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This is definitely a crossroads and very difficult. I have tried for over a year to go to mass daily, I have missed about 10 times for various reasons, so I miss the Eucharist with all my heart. Unfortunately, only a Priest can consecrate bread and wine, other materials or "ministers" wouldn't create a valid sacrament. We are encouraged to make spiritual communion.
My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.

Hopefully the good that will come once this has been lifted is there will be a greater love and reverence for the Eucharist.

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I would really struggle with the idea of a e-communion where I have my own wine and bread/wafers and accept that it has been... virtually consecrated. I think things would have to get pretty dire before I would be okay with that.

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I guess I don't get what the difference in consecration is between virtual or not. Is consecration not the same in the both cases?

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Unfortunately, only a Priest can consecrate bread and wine, other materials or "ministers" wouldn't create a valid sacrament.

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I would have thought under the "binding and loosing" principles that this consecration of other materials would be possible.

I would think binding and loosing would refer to the forgiveness of sin, mostly. I don't think the Church can change the sacrament by using anything other than bread and wine because that is how Jesus instituted the sacrament. Just like a baptism with Dr. Pepper wouldn't be valid.
Found a couple of paragraphs in the CCC that seem to apply
1444 In imparting to his apostles his own power to forgive sins the Lord also gives them the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church. This ecclesial dimension of their task is expressed most notably in Christ's solemn words to Simon Peter: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of the apostles united to its head."
1445 The words bind and loose mean: whomever you exclude from your communion, will be excluded from communion with God; whomever you receive anew into your communion, God will welcome back into his. Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God.

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I would think binding and loosing would refer to the forgiveness of sin, mostly. I don't think the Church can change the sacrament by using anything other than bread and wine because that is how Jesus instituted the sacrament. Just like a baptism with Dr. Pepper wouldn't be valid.

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Well, ok. why not "loose" everyone corporately from the sins laid out in 1 Cor in regards to discerning the body this regard?

Also, would this not invoke infallibility if the Pope issued this from the chair?

Please don't interpret as direct criticism, but more working out the thought exercise based on many of the arguments we've heard on this board before. You certainly are not on trial for what your Church is doing.

I'm not Catholic, so not having a pope..that would complicate matters in our church immensely,

I would imagine this would be a huge issue of pastoral care.. so if they were going to try to attempt such a thing, they would probably want to use something like zoom, so they can approve who is communing and what they are communing with (no doritos and DP for instance)

I'm not sure if my discomfort is just mostly that "that's not how it works" or that I see theological issues.. it's not like God couldn't make it "work" by any means.. but the part of the point of communion is that the church body shares in Christ's body and blood together

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I would imagine this would be a huge issue of pastoral care.. so if they were going to try to attempt such a thing, they would probably want to use something like zoom, so they can approve who is communing and what they are communing with (no doritos and DP for instance)

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But why? If the priest is required to consecrate the Host, why can't he consecrate anything? If by some insane circumstances doritos and DP are all I have left, am I denied Communion because of this? Is God not willing or able to accept this substitution?

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I'm not sure if my discomfort is just mostly that "that's not how it works" or that I see theological issues.. it's not like God couldn't make it "work" by any means.. but the part of the point of communion is that the church body shares in Christ's body and blood together

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You're a human being and this is outside of your normal routine/comfort zone. If God can make the host work out, I don't see why He would be unable to unite his people spiritually around it.

It's all good, I think this is a constructive conversation. I don't think the pope could make an infallible decision on how to institute the Eucharist. Infallibility is a safeguard from error, meaning if the pope were to make a decree "from the chair" it would be perfectly free from error. And it is my understanding the anything infallible would be based on or not contradict Sacred Scripture or Sacred Tradition. So the pope wouldn't have the freedom to just make something up without it having some foundation in scripture or tradition.
Here is a document about what can be used to make the Eucharist.
I believe this document is for the Latin rite specifically. I know the eastern rites use unleavened bread and are considered valid.

diehard03 said:

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I would think binding and loosing would refer to the forgiveness of sin, mostly. I don't think the Church can change the sacrament by using anything other than bread and wine because that is how Jesus instituted the sacrament. Just like a baptism with Dr. Pepper wouldn't be valid.

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Well, ok. why not "loose" everyone corporately from the sins laid out in 1 Cor in regards to discerning the body this regard?

Also, would this not invoke infallibility if the Pope issued this from the chair?

Please don't interpret as direct criticism, but more working out the thought exercise based on many of the arguments we've heard on this board before. You certainly are not on trial for what your Church is doing.

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I think the argument would be that the pope would never declare something like that, because it isn't the truth. Not that he is able to change truth, he's just protected from erring by the Holy Spirit, so he'd never make that declaration to begin with.

It would be a big deal to do something like declare a change to our understanding of the sacrament, and would go directly contrary to centuries of teaching.

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It would be a big deal to do something like declare a change to our understanding of the sacrament, and would go directly contrary to centuries of teaching.

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It me be presumptuous to say this, but then don't you stand condemned before God by denying people access to the Bread of Life?

Again, not making Catholics defend decisions they didn't make - just playing it out.

diehard03 said:

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It would be a big deal to do something like declare a change to our understanding of the sacrament, and would go directly contrary to centuries of teaching.

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It me be presumptuous to say this, but then don't you stand condemned before God by denying people access to the Bread of Life?

Again, not making Catholics defend decisions they didn't make - just playing it out.

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I understand you're coming from a charitable place. I think a lot of devoted Catholics (and other denominations) are feeling abandoned by their bishops and leaders.

I'm glad I'm not a bishop. They've got millions of souls to shepherd. I do think they should've granted some leniency to their priests and allowed them to operate in prudent ways to continue the Sacraments. But I doubt few if any are willing to break the law to do so.

As a Catholic we are only required to receive communion once a year during Easter season. However, we are commanded to go to mass on every Sunday and Holy days of obligation, which we are currently dispensed from this requirement.