Green Phase for Regathering at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Kingsville
St. John’s is now entering the Green Phase of Regathering. We are are being deliberate in moving forward bringing lifting one protocol a week.
At this time, the mask mandate has been lifted. Having said that, if there is anyone who would still feel more comfortable wearing one in church, that is ok. We are just glad that you are with us for worship.
Sunday July 11th, we will resume approaching the altar rail to receive the sacrament. Communing with wine will resume. There will are several ways to receive communion:
1.) If you only feel comfortable receiving the host at this time, that it is ok. You will have received communion in it’s fullness.
2.)If you would like to resume the common cup, it will be available.
3.) If you do not wish to receive the wine, you are invited to touch the base of the chalice as the chalicist says, ‘The blood of Christ, shed for you.’
4.) A second cup will be made available for intinction. A new practice regarding intinction will being. The new practice will involve inviting people who prefer to have the bread dipped, to cross their right arm over their chest. This will indicate to me that they would like the host to include intinction. I will intinct the bread and give it to them. This is to minimize the transmission of germs. While many believe intinction to be the ‘less germy’ way of partaking in the communion wine, it is actually quite the opposite. When the priest places the host in a congregants hand, it makes contact with those germs. The congregant the picks up the host, and dips it into the wine. If their finger tips get in to the wine, then those sneaky germs under the finger nails get in the wine with those on the host. On the off chance that they accidentally drop the host in to the cup, the congregant tries to salvage it with fingers in the wine.
5.) If you would simply like a blessing, you may come forward and cross your arms in front of you.
We are still not permitted to shake hands/hug during the peace, but whatever you do outside the liturgy is up to you. This delay in physically sharing the peace will actually allow a teaching moment for the congregation, in that the Peace is about reconciliation with those whom we have a sinned against and not a halftime break in the liturgy to catch up with people.
I am aware of the diverse reactions that are taking place in our congregation towards these guidelines. I implore you to avoid, at all possible, condemning those whose position on these restrictions are different from your own. Let us turn that energy towards our Mission, Evangelism, and the work of God’s church at St. John’s.
