communion health and safety

[sammmo]

watching people taking communion this morning at salsbury cathedral on tv and watched as people were drinking from the chalice.. this must be unhealthy.. why do they still do this? think about all the germs around that cup..yuk

[mike11111]

It was for this reason that until recently the Roman church, following the Black Death in the 14C, allowed communion in one kind only, the chalice being reserved for the priest. I may be wrong but I believe the Greek and Russian Orthodox churches still only distribute communion in one kind.

[Cowtipper]

We do grape juice in little plastic cups...

[mike11111]

Little plastic cups are used by Methodists here. I believe they use grape juice as well because of their Temperance background. Somehow the thought of Our Lord cracking open a bottle of Ribena and saying to his disciples, "This is my blood..." rather diminishes the Passion story somewhat.

[Cowtipper]

I'm about a half of fifth of vodka, one quarters the way down a bottle of Kahlua, and I think mostly out of Irish creme. My parent were Catholic, my older sister a Presbyterian and my younger sister a Lutheran. I was raised in the Protestant church and I doubt they would approve. On the plus side I haven't drank any blood tonight.

[mike11111]

The Church of England, equivalent of your Episcopalians would certainly approve. The High Church (Tractarian) tradition is said to be founded on incense, lace and gin.