After over three months of “lockdown” in England, the UK Prime Minister has announced that “places of worship” can reopen for services from 4 July. It is unclear what this actually means as the guidance from government has not yet been published.
Many churches (our own included) will be waiting to see what the guidance and regulations say before deciding on the timing and nature of our reopening. We have been told already that there will be no singing and there is a suggestion that preaching may have to be from behind a screen because of the risk of the virus spreading through voice projection.
For this reason, some churches in the UK are considering delaying reopening further because if we can’t sing, we can’t preach, we can’t fellowship except at a distance, then why don’t we continue with “online” worship, where we can sing, listen to preaching, “fellowship” through Zoom, and pray?
However, there is one the element of worship that we have been unable to do “online”. The Lord’s Supper is to be celebrated “when you come together” (1 Cor 11:20, 33). So we wait and it is hard to wait.
But waiting is an opportunity to reflect on just how precious it is to meet with our Saviour in the meal that He commanded us to eat and drink in remembrance of Him. The article below is a helpful perspective on just how precious the Lord’s Supper is, not only as a remembrance of what He has done, but as a taste of the glorious eternal feast.
The article is here – A Heavenly Appetizer.
May the Lord grant that our corporate worship, including the Lord’s Supper, be reestablished soon.
The best is yet to come 