Drive Up Communion

[Lamb]

How do you feel about drive up communion? Would you participate if it were offered at your church?

 

[Albion]

Probably not. Not unless it were impossible to commune in the usual way over an extended period of time.

 

[Lamb]

I'm not sure how I feel about it really. I guess I'm wondering if it's irreverent? Or is it that we crave Him so much that we would do it this abnormal way?

 

[tango]

I'm not sure it's irreverent - it's merely going forward in a vehicle rather than on foot. I'm not sure what it's supposed to achieve - if the idea is to maintain a physical distance I'm not sure how it would work if someone is going to hand the people the bread and wine, and if the idea is to avoid people touching the same thing it seems like it fails there too. If you're going to start having someone using tongs to place a wafer onto a plate held at arms length it seems like you might as well just take communion at home.

 

[Josiah]

How do you feel about drive up communion? Would you participate if it were offered at your church?

My Lutheran parish offers private - individual communion. It's in the chapel.... and it involves the ENTIRE Communion liturgy: Confession/absolution, the Nicene Creed, Prayers (including the Lord's Prayer), the consecration, the thanksgiving - the whole enchilada. With each person or family. The elements are on a table - carefully laid out so that one can take the elements without touching any other, with Hosts on a paper towel and with individual disposal cups. There is a bulletin. The cup and the bulletin are thrown away afterwards. The pastor never comes within 6 feet of the person - but DOES engage in conversation before and after. This is offered on Sunday and also mid-week. It means a lot of time and effort for the pastor but he says he enjoys the opportunity to meet with parisheners.

I know of one Lutheran church that does the drive up - but there's no liturgy AT ALL, just someone poking in the Host and then the Wine. I'm not sure about the correctness of this and it is very cold. The Sacrament is not french fries received at a drive up window. Although better than nothing, I suppose. BTW, I really (deeply) disagree with the LCMS on this, the advise of "just skip it."


Just MY half cent (since you asked).


Josiah



.

 

[psalms 91]

I do communion at home from time to time, nothing wrong about it. Anyone can consecrate the elements and partake nothing biblical about only a priest can do it . Not all will agree but to me it is a matter of the heart and approaching it with all the seriousness it demands.

 

[tango]

My Lutheran parish offers private - individual communion. It's in the chapel.... and it involves the ENTIRE Communion liturgy: Confession/absolution, the Nicene Creed, Prayers (including the Lord's Prayer), the consecration, the thanksgiving - the whole enchilada. With each person or family. The elements are on a table - carefully laid out so that one can take the elements without touching any other, with Hosts on a paper towel and with individual disposal cups. There is a bulletin. The cup and the bulletin are thrown away afterwards. The pastor never comes within 6 feet of the person - but DOES engage in conversation before and after. This is offered on Sunday and also mid-week. It means a lot of time and effort for the pastor but he says he enjoys the opportunity to meet with parisheners.

Kudos to the priest for being willing to do that. It seems overdone to me but if it works for him and it works for his parishioners then more power to them.

 

[NewCreation435]

I would participate if it was done in a safe way.

 

[vince284]

no it isn't something I think about

 

[hedrick]

Communion is by definition a community event. I'd much rather see virtual communion. We're getting good attendance at our services over Facebook Live. A communion service in that context, with everyone eating together, preserves the meaning of the sacrament.

There are some differences between Lutheran and Reformed traditions. Josiah refers to private communion. We don't consider that legitimate. Even with shut-ins, communion requires at a minimum a pastor and an elder (representing the congregation). In our church often youth go with the pastor, so it's more than just the minimum number.

 

[Particular]

I suppose it depends on if you think communion is necessary to maintain your security in Christ. I saw Roman Catholics on TV who were desperate to partake in communion because they were afraid they would die in their sins without it. The priest had a steady line of cars with people desperate to take the wafer and cup.