Extended Communion

It is worth noting that in a manner of speaking, every Communion is an extended communion. No one communes at exactly the same time and place as the President.It is all a matter of degree: how far away and how much delay are tolerable?

It is interesting to ask what difference being in the same building makes. What if there were an overflow of people to the church yard or church hall? Or down the road? Or if there were a video-link set up to those places?

Although I can see that people might dislike the idea, I wonder what possibilities modern technology might offer for extended communion e.g. for the housebound? Someone watching the service on a lap top would then recieve the elements in the same way as everyone else, only with a slightly longer delay? They would participate more fully in the corporate worship than at present. (They could down load service sheets and hymn words etc.) The same could be done for a sick family? Or for a congregation in another church?

(Admittedly, more presbyters would be a better solution!)