I have written a few times about how and when to introduce phases of in-person worship. I continue to encourage no in-person gathering until the deaths or cases of newly infected decrease for a minimum of 14 days in your area. This letter is a follow up about in-person worship and Holy Communion. Hat-tip to Bishop James Hazelwood and Bishop Guy Erwin for sharing ideas for this communication.

Dear Church,

I am aware that congregations follow their own unique paths forward. Some have begun exploring in-person gathering, including outdoor worship. As you plan, I encourage you to follow the directives of your state governor and health department, and guidance from the ELCA. While some people are eager for in-person indoor worship, others are reluctant and very cautious.

My counsel is twofold: err on the side of caution and proceed in a gradual phased-in approach. If I were serving in a congregation, I would choose to avoid in-person worship.

I suggest you carefully monitor coronavirus rates in your local area and have contingency plans to return to online worship if your county becomes a hot zone of infections and deaths. 

Holy Communion

Let me first begin by acknowledging how challenging this is for us as sacramental people. There is grief around not being able to receive communion. This grief is interwoven with our sorrow of not being physically together for worship, of not being able to mourn together, and now, our grief over the injustices we have witnessed around our country. We long for a healing balm, and in particular, a healing sacrament.

This topic has occupied my mind for many months. I asked—and many of you honored—my request to withhold from any practices of online or virtual communion. As a synod I hoped we would have time to learn, discuss, and engage in a more thoughtful approach before making decisions about practice. But, as the conference deans told me, “that ship has sailed.” I do hope to find time in the future to review our Lutheran perspective of the sacraments.

I’ve become aware of a variety of thought by much reading and conversations with pastors of our synod, scholars, and several other ELCA Bishops. What follows are my recommendations for going forward with our Holy Communion practices in the Grand Canyon Synod.

From a theological and confessional point of view, I believe the only proper response during a pandemic situation is to wait, and not celebrate Holy Communion until we can hold in-person worship. In my reading, reflecting, and learning, the Sacrament of Holy Communion is an incarnational expression of Jesus the Christ embodied in the gathered assembly.

Additionally, our worship should have open doors for all people. There are two other critical components of Christian worship: it serves as a counter-cultural voice to independent individualism, while also connecting us to hunger in the world, including a craving for justice.

I'm not convinced that an online broadcast (assuming availability of internet access by individuals) accomplishes all of those markers, much less a few. I’ve read and heard the arguments in favor of digital communion. I've watched several versions from around the country and the Grand Canyon Synod. Personally, I’m not persuaded. However, I recognize that we are in unprecedented times, along with a diversity of perspectives.

Therefore, I offer the following options to consider, following a careful discussion and review by your congregation council:

1. In-person worship with a social distance form of communion conducted in a staggered manner throughout the day.

2. In-person outdoor worship conducted in a church parking lot with persons remaining in their cars with the distribution of communion.

3. In-person small group worship services with socially distanced communion followed by a distribution of the sacrament to the homebound.

4. Online service, with a preference for real-time and face-to-face interaction like Zoom or other applications. I view this last option as something in place only during this time of pandemic.

I recognize that not everyone will agree with my recommendations. I also recognize that various congregations have already adopted different perspectives and made other choices.

I believe the best option is to celebrate Holy Communion as a sacrament when we are able to gather as an in-person assembly. Christians have a long history of waiting, of anticipating the coming of something or someone. Perhaps we can embrace this time of waiting or longing as a time in eager anticipation of ‘thy kingdom come.’

I thank God for you, your generous spirits, your openness to new learnings and deeper collegiality. The Holy Spirit is blowing and stirring in and among us.

In Christ,

The Rev. Deborah K. Hutterer
Bishop
Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA