Sunday, October 2, is World Communion Sunday. The Reverend Dr. Donald Kerr, a Presbyterian minister, founded the celebration in 1930 to symbolize the effort to “hold the world together, in a spiritual sense. It emphasized that we are one in the Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
This celebration is an opportunity for us to remember and demonstrate our solidarity and oneness with other Christians worldwide. We recognize this unity regardless of denomination, theological beliefs, culture, or political boundaries. To do this, we offer breads from different countries and continents.
Communion bread this Sunday will include Ethiopian Injera, a flatbread made with fermented teff flour, Southern Indian Dosa, a flatbread made with fermented rice and black lentil, Latin American/Indigenous American corn tortillas, and Asian rice cakes. The ceremonial loaf is the usual, sourdough communion bread. All breads are gluten-free and vegan. The rice cakes and corn tortillas are yeast-free. Keeping our communion bread offerings free of common food allergens (nuts, peanuts, soy, dairy, eggs) as well as gluten free, and providing grape juice instead of wine is another way of ensuring that all feel welcome and can partake at the Lord’s Table.