Holy Week hot take on "online communion" - #umc Methodists can't agree on this because we want to talk about sacraments like Catholics but treat them like Baptist ordinances. Wish we'd pick a horse.

Yes, I've read and reread "This Holy Mystery" and "By Water and Spirit." Frankly, I think they're a mess.

Either we have sacraments or we have ordinances. If sacraments, you need the priest (Elder/πρεσβύτερος) to consecrate. If ordinance, any believer. I suspect we're headed toward the latter post-COVID19.

The real irony? Progressive and evangelical Methodists BOTH reaching for online communion in the breach. Why? Because a bishop said they could, EVEN THOUGH UMC canon law says "no." We can't agree on sex but we agree that pragmatism rules and sentimentalism is icing on the cake.