The Common Cup Challenge

Try it – You Might Like It.

Many who read this Blog grew up with a regular practice of receiving the Blood of Christ from a single, common chalice at Communion, but have in recent years, for one reason or another, discontinued that in favor of dipping their bread.

Many others became Episcopalians after the use of the Common Cup went into decline, and have no experience of it.

In any case, microbiologists are mostly of the opinion that you won’t “catch” any disease from it, and that you are in greater danger from talking with members at coffee hour (and from fingers dipped into the wine along with the bread.) And most Anglican spiritual directors would agree that something spiritual is lost in one’s life by avoiding the Chalice.

So here is the challenge: If you have never received the Communion wine by drinking from the Common Cup, or if you have not done so in a long time, let the remainder of this Pentecost Season, in preparation for Advent and the Feast of the Incarnation, be a time that you drink from the Chalice rather than dip your wafer. And see how you feel. Don’t tell anyone you are doing it – the experience is for you alone.

Oh, and about those myriad tiny little wafers . . .   ever tried to chew one?

~ Will, ObJN

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