Along with many others, I'm pondering the challenges posed to the practice and meaning of gathered worship during this COVID19-imposed suspension of the normal practices of Christian worship. My thinking is especially focused on the question of the legitimacy - or not - of a virtual celebration of the Eucharist. It's a live debate in my own ecclesial community, the Uniting Church in Australia.
I'm still working through the issues, and I've found the following resources to be very helpful. Some of them have been sent my way by some of my immediate colleagues. I'm grateful to them for doing so.
I offer no commentary here (yet) or any endorsement. The links that follow (in no particular order) are simply presented as resources that others also might find helpful. And I'll add to the list as I come across other material.
"Liturgy in a time of plague" by Andrew McGowan, Dean of Berekely School of Divinity, Yale.
"Christ Really is Present Virtually: A Proposal for Virtual Communion" by Deanna A. Thompson, Director of Center for Lutheran Center for Faith Values and Community, St. Olaf College, Minnesota.
"Digital Worship and Sacramental Life in a Time of Pandemic" by Dirk Lange, World Lutheran Fedation.
"Advisory Opinion: Communion in an Emergency/Pandemic." Presbyterian Church (USA)
"On deferring Easter and diving more deeply into Lenten Quarantine" by Garry Deverall, Vicar of St. Agnes' Anglican Parish in Melbourne and Vice-Chancellor's Fellow in Indigenous Theologies at the University of Divinity.
"The Making of the Body of Christ:Worship as a Technological Apocalypse," by Garry Deverall, Vicar of St. Agnes' Anglican Parish in Melbourne and Vice-Chancellor's Fellow in Indigenous Theologies at the University of Divinity. This piece was first published in 2003.
"The Church and the Internet." Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
"Sacraments in Digital Space." An MA dissertation by Fr. Simon Rundell, Church of England Vicar in the Diocese of Exeter.
"The Covid 10 Conundrum." An episode of the ABC's God Forbid. (Much broader conversation than worship, but some important and related theological/philosophical topics are discussed.)
"Connecting with a Theology of Technology," by Wes Avram, Clement-Muehl Assistant Professor of Communication at Yale Divinity School and the Institute for Sacred Music (2000-2006).
"Worship in Exile as an 'essential service,'" by Mark Brett from Whitley Theological College and Rachelle Gilmour from Trinity College Theological School, both in Melbourne.
Guidelines for celebration of Holy Communion in online worship and other material from the Uniting Church in Australia
"Holy Communion and COVID-19: The Body of Christ in a time of social distancing," by Jason Goroncy from Whitley Theological College.
"Can we celebrate an online Eucharist? A Baptist Response 1: A positive response" and "Can we celebrate an online Eucharist? A Baptist Response 2: Some possible objections," by Stephen Holmes from the School of Divinity, St. Andrew's University.
"On our theology of worship," by Bishop Michael Curry, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.
I'm still working through the issues, and I've found the following resources to be very helpful. Some of them have been sent my way by some of my immediate colleagues. I'm grateful to them for doing so.
I offer no commentary here (yet) or any endorsement. The links that follow (in no particular order) are simply presented as resources that others also might find helpful. And I'll add to the list as I come across other material.
***
"Liturgy in a time of plague" by Andrew McGowan, Dean of Berekely School of Divinity, Yale.
"Christ Really is Present Virtually: A Proposal for Virtual Communion" by Deanna A. Thompson, Director of Center for Lutheran Center for Faith Values and Community, St. Olaf College, Minnesota.
"Digital Worship and Sacramental Life in a Time of Pandemic" by Dirk Lange, World Lutheran Fedation.
"Advisory Opinion: Communion in an Emergency/Pandemic." Presbyterian Church (USA)
"On deferring Easter and diving more deeply into Lenten Quarantine" by Garry Deverall, Vicar of St. Agnes' Anglican Parish in Melbourne and Vice-Chancellor's Fellow in Indigenous Theologies at the University of Divinity.
"The Making of the Body of Christ:Worship as a Technological Apocalypse," by Garry Deverall, Vicar of St. Agnes' Anglican Parish in Melbourne and Vice-Chancellor's Fellow in Indigenous Theologies at the University of Divinity. This piece was first published in 2003.
"Sacraments in Digital Space." An MA dissertation by Fr. Simon Rundell, Church of England Vicar in the Diocese of Exeter.
"The Covid 10 Conundrum." An episode of the ABC's God Forbid. (Much broader conversation than worship, but some important and related theological/philosophical topics are discussed.)
"Connecting with a Theology of Technology," by Wes Avram, Clement-Muehl Assistant Professor of Communication at Yale Divinity School and the Institute for Sacred Music (2000-2006).
"Worship in Exile as an 'essential service,'" by Mark Brett from Whitley Theological College and Rachelle Gilmour from Trinity College Theological School, both in Melbourne.
Guidelines for celebration of Holy Communion in online worship and other material from the Uniting Church in Australia
"Holy Communion and COVID-19: The Body of Christ in a time of social distancing," by Jason Goroncy from Whitley Theological College.
"Can we celebrate an online Eucharist? A Baptist Response 1: A positive response" and "Can we celebrate an online Eucharist? A Baptist Response 2: Some possible objections," by Stephen Holmes from the School of Divinity, St. Andrew's University.
"On our theology of worship," by Bishop Michael Curry, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.
***
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