As Maria has not been able to attend our congregation, we decided to have church @ home. I led the worship (contemporary worship music by Toby Mac, Vineyard, etc.), delivered a couple of mini-sermons, the kids read the relevant passages of scripture and we had communion.
It was the first time I had done this so it was uplifting, especially as the kids (who were initially resistant to the idea) really got into the fun of it. It was also good practice for when we return home as it will probably be some time before Maria will be in a position to attend church.
In response to the question someone may pose that what we did was not really church, I would offer the following. The first century Christian church operated in a home environment, where "...they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." There are many more references of this through the Bible. In our case we were there, the Holy Spirit was with us, and the Lord wants us to reach out and glorify Him, not just turn up to a building.
Having said the above, it is important to qualify the above by saying that I am also a strong advocate for being part of a congregation/church for those who want to be there to worship God and fellowship with one another, rather than just to be seen going to church or attending because of some type of guilt. I want people to understand that for me, church is not about a bricks and mortar man-made construction, but rather, "...where two or three come together in my name, there am I (Christ) with them." (Matthew 18:20)
Someone may also question whether I am qualified to deliver communion. Well, from my understanding of the Bible, it is silent on this point. Before providing a specific answer to the question, it is important to understand that communion is a time of: reflecting and submitting to God; coming before Him with a humble heart to seek forgiveness for our sins; seeking a deeper relationship with Him; and remembering what Jesus did for each of us on the cross in Calvary nearly 2000 years ago to give us the opportunity to have eternal life.
Having given that background, I know my next comment will be controversial, but here it goes... In my view, 'communion' could be given by anyone (even a non-believer) because not only is the Bible silent on this topic, but the focus should nevertheless be on how the person partaking in communion receives it (that's between them and God). This is clearly supported biblically in 1st Corinthians 27-30
For what it's worth, prior to giving communion I presented a brief message (for the children) after which I broke and served bread (challah), poured and served grape juice, while Ben read 1st Corinthians 11:23-26. We all got gained a lot out from the experience. Should I be wrong in my assessment of communion, then I'm sure the Lord will reveal this to us in His just and loving way.
