Coronavirus Home Communion Update

Order for Sharing Holy Communion During Social Distancing

March 25, 2020

Download the Instructions

If you are unable to join in the livestream service:

Live on Sundays at 9:30 am, or an archived recording of the service at a later time – use this order of prayer together with the Sunday bulletin, which can be downloaded from NewJoy.org. Contact Pastor Chris or a sibling in Christ from church to share these words with you from a safe distance (perhaps in your garage or on your back deck), or over the phone.

If more than one person is sharing in this time of prayer and worship, designate one person to serve as leader, or take turns leading the service.

GATHERING

Using the bulletin, sing or say the words of the opening song as you begin your time of worship and prayer together.

  Offer an opening prayer, asking God to bless this time of worship, and to bless all in our congregation who are far from each other at this time.

  Continue with saying the confession and singing or saying the Kyrie.

WORD

  Read the psalm (responsively), speak the Prayer of the Day, and read the Scripture passages.

Where the sermon usually takes place, pause to reflect on the readings, highlighting what you hear God speaking to you and to our world in these verses.

  Sing or speak the words of the Song of the Day.

  Say the church’s mission statement – we are the church even scattered! – and lift up your prayers to God, for the church, the world, and all those in need, and in particular for the sick, medical personnel, and our elected and public health leaders.

  Speak a word of God’s peace to one another, and receive the comfort of God’s peace for yourself.

  Pause to make an act of offering – setting aside a gift for the church and/or for the sick and poor, writing a check, or making an online gift. Lift up a prayer thanking God for the opportunity to give, and asking God’s blessings on all who are moved by faith to give in the midst of this virus outbreak.

New Joy Communion at Home

MEAL

 If you’re not following along with the livestream, use the following instructions for Holy Communion.

The leader addresses the participant/s.
L: Gathering with our sisters and brothers at this communion table which knows no end,
we remember God’s great works of grace from Creation to the Exodus,
God’s promise showing forth through appointed judges and kings,
and prophets speaking words of judgement and hope.
We recall that in the fullness of time God sent his Son, Jesus,
to bear in his life, death, and resurrection the grace and promise of the Kingdom of God.
With our sisters and brothers we remember that
“in the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.”

All join in the Lord’s Prayer.

Following the prayer the leader continues:
L: This is the supper of our Lord Jesus Christ. This same bread and cup, shared by our dispersed sisters and brothers in faith, are here given for us to receive.

L: These are the gifts of God, for us the people of God, and for that we say,
C: Thanks be to God.

The leader then gives the bread and wine, saying:
L: The body of Christ, given for you.
L: The blood of Christ, shed for you.
The communicant may respond, “Amen.” Silence for reflection may follow.

The following or a similar prayer after communion may be said.
Let us pray.
L: Almighty God, you provide the true bread from heaven, your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant that we who have received the sacrament of his body and blood may abide in him and he in us, that we may be filled with the power of his endless life, now and forever.
C: Amen.

SENDING

  Returning to the bulletin say the blessing, sing or say the words of the sending song, and declare the dismissal.

 

Adapted from sundaysandseasons.com. Copyright © 2020 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.