Cold & Flu at Eucharist: What should you do? 

Whenever two or more people gather, some sharing of germs is inevitable. When Episcopalians gather in Jesus' name to celebrate the Eucharist, our first concern is sharing our gratitude, our faith and our belief in Christ among us. 

However, with the cold and flu season underway, each of us has the responsibility of taking precautions to prevent the spread of these illnesses. We need to wash our hands frequently, take care where we cough and sneeze, and scrutinize our habits and procedures where the spread of infection seems most possible. Hand sanitizers are available in the narthex and in the sanctuary.  

Perhaps at this time, a greater risk to us may be allowing fear to dominate our worship, rather than faith. Statistics actually show that regular recipients of communion are healthier that those who are not. Here are some things to keep in mind

SHOULD YOU COME TO EUCHARIST? The Obligation to attend worship on Saturday or Sunday and other Feast Days is the ordinary expectation for Episcopalians. However, extraordinary circumstances such as sickness or severe weather excuse the faithful from this obligation. If you suspect you have the flu or are suffering from a serious cold, please stay at home and do not risk spreading the infection to others. 

THE SIGN OF PEACE: Please don't be offended if someone chooses not to shake hands with you during the Sign of Peace. An appropriate gesture for those who are concerned about spreading the flu virus might be to strive for eye contact rather than physical contact. You could clasp your hands together and bow gently to those around you, and with a smile say, "Peace be with you," or "Peace of Christ", still others may “fist or elbow bump”. 

RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION: Episcopalians believe that the whole of Christ is contained in the Holy Eucharist under either form of the consecrated host. If you are feeling sick, please receive the host only and refrain from receiving communion from the cup. It is not appropriate to dip your host into the cup yourself as this can contaminate the cup. It is best practice for the Eucharistic Minister to dip and then serve you. On the rare occasion that a wafer is dropped into the chalice, do not retrieve it with your fingers.  

PERSONS WITH COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEMS: If you've been told by your medical adviser that you are particularly susceptible to infection or to complications due to flu, please refrain from practices that might make you sick, including shaking hands, and drinking the from the Chalice, etc. 

(ADAPTED FROM DIOCESE OF GRAND RAPIDS OFFICE FOR WORSHIP)