Thoughts on Internet Communion

Is it possible to partake of the means of grace over the world wide web? Yes! Without question, it is possible to receive God's grace through hearing the Scriptures proclaimed in audio sermons, reading devotional literature and written sermons, fellowshiping with Christians via E-mail and Instant Messenger, offering prayers for others, and giving money to further the ministry of the Gospel! If these means of grace are all possible through the digital medium of the internet, then why not Holy Communion? Indeed, I've written a theological article which gives serious thought to the issue, and I encourage all who have questions about Internet Communion to read this article and give it more than just a cursory consideration.

Online Holy Communion: Theological Reflections Regarding
The Internet and The Means of Grace.

That is one of the purposes of this section of Grace Incarnate: offering the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in and through the many means of grace, including most especially the Sacrament of Holy Communion. In order to experience this means of grace, you will need the following:

• You will need bread ... any kind of bread: a hotdog bun, a piece of sliced bread, a biscuit, a dinner roll, pita bread, a flour tortilla. Theologically speaking, unleavened bread would be the best kind of bread to use, but legalism is not the watch-word here.
  
  
• You will need wine or grape juice. The Last Supper was a Passover Seder and, in accordance with Jewish tradition, Jesus and his Disciples were drinking wine. It wasn't a fortified wine, high in alcoholic content, so if you're is going to use these wines at the Eucharist it's ok if you would like to cut it with a little water. If, out of a concern over the use of alcohol (or for any other reason), you're going to be using unfermented grape juice, this is also certainly acceptable. However, you should realize that Jesus and his disciples used "the real thing." Also, you should realize that the instant one opens a bottle of grape juice it begins fermenting. You might not be able to smell or taste the alcohol, but it's there and it's growing. Hence, grape juice is wine and wine is grape juice; they are both, fundamentally, the same thing. There are good reasons if one wishes to partake of the Eucharist with grape juice, and there are good grounds if one wishes to use wine; judgement in either direction misses the point of the Sacrament as a means of grace. The United Methodist Church counsels concern for those who are alcoholic, and hence celebrated the sacrament with unfermented wine (grape juice).
  
  
• You will need faith in Jesus Christ. By faith I do not mean just "belief." For belief to become faith it must be put into action; there is no such thing as a passive faith that saves. Even the simple affirmation "I believe in Jesus" is an action ... it requires mental assent and verbal action. To partake of Holy Communion you must do so discerning, by faith, the Real Presence of Jesus and his almighty grace.
  
  
• Using one of the Communion Videos, and with the bread and the wine before you, play the Eucharistic service and participate in the rite along with the congregation in the video. Keep in mind that you are not presiding at the sacrament; rather I, as the celebrant, am presiding at the table. You are participating, along with my congregation, in the service. It matters not that the video was recorded months or years ago ... time is immaterial to God's grace or to one's being able to participate in a worship service. Likewise, the elements on your side of the internet are included along with the bread on the table in the video in the prayer of consecration and are also set apart ("consecrated") for the purpose of receiving them as means of grace. Please make sure that, after partaking of the sacrament, you dispose of the left-over elements as are their due: by either consuming them or casting them upon the ground.
  
  
• Please remember that this is an experiment in sacramental practice. It is not sanctioned by any denomination, and certainly not by the United Methodist Church. While I believe that it is possible to receive God's grace through participating in internet based ministries, there are many who do not agree that this is possible when it comes to the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Hence, I believe that humility is called for when partaking of the Eucharist over the internet. Most especially, taking communion on the internet should never be thought of as an alternative to regular, weekly attendance in a local, physical church, or receiving the sacrament in the immediate temporal and spatial presence of the congregation of the faithful. I encourage all who partake of the Lord's Table on this website to participate in the worship life of a local church. If you do not have a church home, I welcome you to find one, join it, and become active within its worship life.