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Digital Communion: Arguments For and Against (L)

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 13654 **3/23/20 8:38 pm**

Thought this might be a helpful resource to pastors who are wrestling through how to approach communion in our current time.

https://j.hn/digital-communion-summary-of-theology-practices/

Acts-perienced Poster Posts: 11849 **3/23/20 11:43 pm**

I Corinthians 10 speaks of one cup and one bread. I knew one church that had one bottle and said that the word translated cup could be translated vessel in Greek, and they poured it out of that vessel. Having everyone get their own bread and juice/wine and home... I'm not sure if that communicates and expresses the koinonia aspect of it.

I certainly do not want to see communion done by having an avatar that looks like you, then clicking on a picture of a wafer and a cup and the avatar takes it, or gets dunked for baptism. No substituting real church with sim church.

We could take communion with our families.
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During war time marriages were performed by proxy

Acts Mod Posts: 25305 **3/25/20 1:34 pm**

Why not digital communion?
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Re: During war time marriages were performed by proxy

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 13654 **3/25/20 2:21 pm**

Acts-perienced Poster Posts: 11849 **3/25/20 3:40 pm**

As far as church online goes, it puts us at the mercy of large corporations and the government. If our ISP or whatever platform we use or the government wanted to shut church down, they might be able to. There are plenty of corporations that call evil good that might want to block some kind of ministry that doesn't endorse certain forms of sexual perversion. I know a man who had an 'Anglican Pentecostal' blog that had some good, well-thought out articles in it (William DeArteaga who wrote 'Quenching the Spirit.') The site that he had his many blogs posted on shut his blog down after he wrote an article suggesting some homosexuals or transgenders (can't remember which) may be under demonic influence. If the satellites fall out of the sky due to solar flares or the magnetic poles move into the wrong place interfering with technology, that could be a problem, too.
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There is no against argument that is valid...

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6042 **3/26/20 8:43 am**

The argument that one makes against digital communion is the SAME argument that one must use for digital church. After all, we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, etc.

But if a person is livestreaming or what have you, then it would be just as right, under such circumstances, to do a digital communion.

Or a digital altar call.

About the only hard thing to do would be a digital baptism--but I feel confident that Jesus would be just as pleased if, in a situation like coronavirus, a saved person dunked themselves, as He would be if the pastor did it.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 13654 **3/26/20 9:01 am**

It honestly doesn't sound like any of you actually read the article. Just saying.

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1323 **3/29/20 10:15 am**

I read the article and have some thoughts.

Our church is basically holds to a memorial view, but actually does communion each week as part of our service. To our church it's extremely important to have this time of communion.

However, we are still sharing that opportunity on-line and letting everyone know ahead of time that it will be part of our on-line service.

The biggest reason I see for it not to be done is merely Tradition and I say this after seeing a debate yesterday on twitter about "virtual communion" between mostly Reformed church pastors and ministers.

Honestly after reading article I can't a solid Biblical prohibition against having communion at home. For me it does not change the fact that I miss my church and wish to be gathered with them weekly and it doesn't violate any "Incarnation" reason or make it any less holy or irreverent if you do it as a family.

The whole debate online on twitter yesterday ticked me off to no end. It's merely nothing more than the whole "if you don't worship and serve my way you aren't doing it right".

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 13654 **3/29/20 10:50 am**

Thanks for reading the article Patrick.

I agree with your views. While I might not normally endorse communion at a distance, these are extraordinary circumstances where the church cannot meet in person. Absent a clear biblical prohibition stating otherwise, it seems reasonable to me to participate in communion in any way possible right now.

does Lee offer a Digital discipleship

Friendly Face Posts: 104 **4/6/20 3:07 pm**

The more urgent concern right now is does Lee offer a Digital discipleship course yet? It is the hot topic in several denominations with the stay-at-home pastors and the drive-through church right now.
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Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3147 **4/6/20 3:11 pm**

following

Friendly Face Posts: 104 **5/8/20 10:30 am**

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/08/opinion/sunday/weird-christians.html?referringSource=articleShare&fbclid=IwAR3aDuQSvfEFm5mKxOYoKcURsTOwwKOcrWg7pCUsztwE6kRfQdWAI7bhtFE
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Imperium centratus delenda est
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Acts-perienced Poster Posts: 11849 **5/8/20 10:53 am**

Friendly Face Posts: 104 **5/9/20 11:54 am**

Bro. Dave,
Did you find the article in liberal NYT somehow related to the one you posted?
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[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 13654 **5/9/20 11:59 am**

Friendly Face Posts: 104 **5/9/20 5:18 pm**

Posted it above - here we go again.
Let me know what you think please

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/08/opinion/sunday/weird-christians.html?referringSource=articleShare&fbclid=IwAR3aDuQSvfEFm5mKxOYoKcURsTOwwKOcrWg7pCUsztwE6kRfQdWAI7bhtFE
_________________
Imperium centratus delenda est
Just the facts
Dr. J.D. Acts