In light of COVID19, the world has witnessed a proliferation of discussion and experimentation around celebrating anddistributing Holy Communion. Prior to the pandemic, there was already an immense range of practices regarding the Lord’s Supper within YDS, and the pandemic’s demands that we distance ourselves from one another further expands this range. While some denominational bodies have enthusiastically embraced online worship that includes some form of Holy Communion, others have radically adapted their liturgical forms to include the Lord’s Supper in new ways, andstill others are abstaining from distributing the Eucharist until we can safely gather together again in person.
As an ecumenical worshipping community, Marquand Chapel lives in this tension.
This semester, Marquand Chapel will offer six Services ofWord and Table on the first and third Fridays of each month (rather than our previous weekly pattern of Fridays). These services will be deeply grounded in the tradition of the presider, and we hope to represent a diversity ofdenominational practices and theological positions.
All are welcome to participate however they feel most comfortable and called. We recognize that some worshippers will opt out of receiving bread and wine in this online format for a variety of reasons, and we honor individuals’ conscious bound decisions. Nonetheless, we are hopeful that you will join us in worship, trusting that one way or another God will show up.