…but don’t tell her she swallowed it.
So, Communion! At my congregation, we celebrate it using both individual cups and a chalice, a large silver “communal” cup. The little individual cups are offered first, and if someone wants one, they take it. If someone prefers the common cup, I pass by second and give them a sip. I prefer the chalice myself, as it reminds me that we all drink from the same source (Christ) and also, because the pastor lifts it to my lips, I receive without even raising a hand to help myself.
Last summer, we had some issues with bugs. Gnats and fruitflies would be attracted to the sweet wine we’d use. The little individual cups have a cover; no bugs got in there. However, the larger chalice had no such cover… and we ended up with bugs in the wine. It wasn’t very appealing. Now, the alcohol content of the wine prevents any kind of germs, so no one was going to get sick, but it’s still… well, it’s at the least distracting, and can be taken to be very disrespectful of the sacrament.
We problem-solved; one of the ladies brought a nice doily that sufficiently covered the cup’s mouth. No more problems.
Until today. (more…)