Eucharist, church, and judgment: initial questions about the liturgical and ecclesiological implications of the COVID-19 pandemic

I consider the significance, for Christians' self-understanding and identity as a Church, of the suspension of public worship. I discuss in particular the liturgical customs which have been temporarily discontinued, and the profound theological questions raised by the measures taken to meet the spiritual needs of congregations by means of on-line worship. Celebrations of the Eucharist, with “remote” or “virtual” participation via the internet, require careful reflection on the nature of the Church itself. Word and Sacrament are inextricably linked, and reading and reflection on Scripture and prayer remain available and necessary when gathering as a community is not possible. A crisis is a time of judgment, when we are exposed to God’s truth, and have the opportunity to persevere in faith, to learn and to grow