I nearly spilled the communion plate today which would have sent dozens of stale wafers flying. This got me to thinking that churches need to institute a contingency plan for sacramental mishaps. A drill of sorts. Do I pick up the wafers and put them back in the plate? Do I wait for a new plate to come? Do we save the dirty wafers for the second service? Do you throw away unused communion bread or is it something you donate?
Once during communion, it looked as if we were going to run out of the small cups of wine (juice, if my mom is reading this). I was tormented by the dilemma I was about to be faced with: do I take the wine, thereby keeping others from participating in the Lord's Supper, or do I let the elements pass me by so that others can have them, thereby actively rejecting a holy command?! I still do not know the right answer. Hence, a guidebook is certainly in order.
9 comments:
Regarding that last one, I think you should simply carry a hiddle flask of grape juice with you at all times. That way, you will always be prepared.
And perhaps also some Wheat Thins.
And by the way, "hiddle" is the new "hidden". Add that to your lexicon.
you would only need to defer to the Catholic faith for a complete plan of action, and i mean a complete plan of action! this would include priests swarming in with bio-hazard suits to secure a dropped host. the searing look of shame from others will only scar you for 30-40 years. i am not sure just yet, as i am still writing about it today. bringing you flask and snack is always good practice.
I was indeed cracking up at you in church at your almost unfortunate event! I wonder if there ever has been a dropping of the elements?
my favorite solution of those that you put forth is to pick them up and serve them to the second service, wait a second... that explains the hair on my wafer last week!! ive been had!
Reminds me of a funny scene from Angela's Ashes where the Irish boy gets sick after taking first communion and loses what he ate in front of his house. They had to run back to the priest for a consultation about what to do with "Jesus in their front yard!"
are you referring at something like this?
watch the video
In the Episcopal church, if the host is dropped or if crumbs go on the floor, it CANNOT be vacuumed! One of the altar boys' duties is to eat it off the floor!
"... wine (juice, if my mom is reading this) ..."
I think you meant "juice (praise the Lord that we got rid of that horrid so-called wine that we used to use)."
Or perhaps you meant "'wine' (don't worry, mom, that's what we call grape juice for some strange reason)."
Some of my best communion memories are ones where we used real wine (including that once at UPC). Perhaps it's that it was the same drink that Jesus used rather than an artificially aborted version thereof, or perhaps it's just that wine avoids the pseudo-holiness of meeting abuse with total disuse.
Post a Comment