Revd Andrea Ward tells us more about this service….
I will be celebrating Holy Communion in my home, a short service which will be streamed live on our Facebook page: All Saints Church, Chatham.
The service will begin at the point when we share the words of The Peace, so please do join us as we prepare our hearts in worship, prayer and confession.
The words of the service can be viewed here: Holy Communion Easter Day 2020
You will need to be a user of Facebook to see the video stream. You can join the service on Facebook by clicking the box below.
In this time when we are not able to gather together as God’s people, it is a particular sadness not to be able to share in the meal that Jesus gave us to remember him by. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have made it possible, during this time, for priests to celebrate Holy Communion in their own homes and to stream these celebrations to those in their spiritual care, as an expression of the shared life of the Body of Christ. In Holy Week, the week in which Jesus gave us this meal, it seems particularly appropriate, on this Easter Day, to stream a service.
It’s important to stress that this service isn’t a remote Communion. I won’t be consecrating / blessing bread and wine remotely in your homes! Joining together to share in the one bread and the one cup as those physically present to one another is integral to the service of Holy Communion. And so instead, after I have consumed the bread and wine, I shall leave some moments of quiet for you to remember our Lord and Saviour, for you to ask him to feed and fill you spiritually. You may find it helpful to open your hands at that point in the service, as a gesture of seeking and receiving from the Lord.
If you would find it helpful to read more about making a Spiritual Communion including a special liturgy that has been created for this time, please see the attached document here: Guidance on Spiritual Communion and Coronavirus