There are two kinds of people in church: those who say “I’m not dipping my bread into this cup after that guy—who knows where his hands have been!” and those who say “Germs? What germs?” How should we approach disease transmission during worship in a way that respects those who have legitimate health concerns, while retaining the integrity of our worship practices?
First of all, we need to understand the health issues. Like any public meeting place, there is a very real possibility of encountering germs at church. Our concern is heightened during flu season (December to March, with a peak in February) and when we hear about outbreaks like the recent one at Hope College. Viruses are typically passed from person to person by sneezing and coughing, but can also live long enough on doorknobs or communion chalices to spread. Understandably, children under 12 are most likely to spread germs and hands are a more likely source of contagion than the mouth. (“Greet one another with a holy kiss,” anyone?) So though it’s counter intuitive, it follows that intinction (dipping the bread into the wine) like we do at Church of the Servant is less sanitary then drinking directly from a common cup. This also means that shaking hands during the peace is a questionable practice from a health perspective.
While passing the peace and sharing communion are an unfortunate sequence when considering virus transmission, they’re extremely important from a liturgical standpoint. Liturgy is not just something we say, it’s something we do—with God and with each other. During the communion liturgy, we pray “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” and a moment later we pass the peace to one another as a sign that we’re willing to live out what we just prayed. Having been forgiven and having forgiven, we gather at the Table. Certainly, there are many ways to distribute the bread and cup, but who, having experienced the communion circle at COS, would be content to go back to plastic cups and saltines passed out by grim-faced men in dark suits?
Though we can never eliminate all health risk, there are a number of things we can do to continue having meaningful worship while minimizing the risk of spreading viruses. Today, we are going to pass the peace using a simple Asian form introduced by worship scholar I-to Loh. Instead of shaking hands as is common in Western greetings, we’ll bow to one another as is the practice throughout Asia. The logistics are simple: place your palms together near your heart and bow your head in silence. The meaning of this simple gesture is profound, signaling a reverence for the Christ that dwells in those around you. Though we’ll all exchange the peace in this fashion today, at any point in the future that you feel you may be sick or would rather not to shake hands with those around you, feel free to simply put your palms together, indicating that you’d prefer to pass the peace with a bow. You may also feel free to join the communion circle but decline either the bread or wine (or both). Many liturgical churches stress that taking only one of the elements is still a valid communion. Though many at COS feel strongly about taking both elements, individuals should feel the freedom to let the elements pass by due to a health concern. Finally, be considerate: cover your mouth with your sleeve when sneezing, wash your hands after using the bathroom (you don’t want to know the statistics), and consider skipping church if you’re sick.
Christian community requires us to look out for others’ interests above our own. Let’s pray that both COSs germaphobes and hygiene-challenged can worship with their whole heart and healthy bodies.
Can’t tell intinction from influenza? Contact Greg: greg.scheer@coscrc.org.