We’re finally getting a taste of winter, and with it I know several folks have caught colds and flu bugs. Tis the season and all that! Along with prayers for happy healing I want to share a bit with you around communion practices that I return to every year at this time.
There is no one right way to receive communion, and depending upon your faith journey you may approach receiving the bread and wine in different ways. The most common way is probably to receive the bread in your hands, consume it, and then sip wine from the chalice. Intinction is another practice, whereby after receiving the bread you dip it into the chalice. Many people make the false assumption that this is the healthier way to receive communion. In actuality, it is not, for two main reasons. The first is that when you have alcohol in a silver chalice it is a fairly sterile environment, even with everyone taking sips. As long as the chalice bearer is faithful about wiping the rim of the chalice, ‘contamination’ is minimal. The second is that through intinction, what often happens is that people accidently dip their fingers along with the bread. As we all know, our hands are one of the germiest parts of our bodies, and when they are introduced to the wine, that is where ‘contamination’ is most likely to occur.
Tangential to all of this is that we have folks in our community who are allergic to gluten and receive rice wafers instead of bread. When we dip our regular bread into the wine small pieces often are left behind floating, and that notwithstanding, the presence of the bread at all makes it undrinkable for them.
All of this is why I am asking everyone to try on new practices when receiving communion going forward. First, please know that sacramental scholars will tell you that receiving communion in one kind is just as efficacious as receiving both. You are always welcome to just receive the bread or the wine. Second, I am asking the chalice bearers to all wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before coming forward to serve, and to renew their intentionality around wiping the chalice after every sip. If you would still prefer to receive the wine via intinction please ask for a rice wafer from me and then give it to the chalice bearer; they will dip it and give it to you to consume. And also remember, if you’re feeling under the weather you can choose to just receive the bread or come forward for a blessing.
If you have any questions or concerns going forward, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line.
In peace,
Kristin+