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While I agree fundamentally with Drayton's post, the reality is it depends on the state you live in.  The State of Washington for instance, where I am located, has made it a law that Covid vaccination status can be requested by employers and is not covered by typical HIPPA stuff.  But other states haven't done that.  So legally check with your local laws.  But practically, I think you tell your church and make it public.  So with our Friendship Program we are informing people that there may be unvaccinated people present both as students and mentors and that if that is a concern, then please take the appropriate precautions you need to take.

As a pastor we faced this a few years ago in our body.  But instead of just targetting gluten free, we targetted every allergy (our body has a high rate of food allergies) So our bread is gluten free, soy free, dairy free, nut free, though it may contain egg.  That was the one piece we couldnt get rid of.  We buy from a local bread shop in town, but trader Joes also has sometihng that meets this.  We serve everyone from the same loaf and though it has a different taste and texture than normal bread, it has been a great opprotunity for us to talk about sacrificing for one another as the body of christ.  Remember that gluten isn't the only allergy out there and we need to incorporate as many people as possible.

 

Scott Roberts on August 6, 2013

In reply to by anonymous_stub (not verified)

In case you haven't considered it, some folks with gluten issues are extremely sensitive.  To the point that unless, the people preparing the elements, wash everything thoroughly between cutting the bread and never allow someone to touch the bread and the GF bread, then it may be harmful to those with issues.  

 

Our goal is not to just say, we provided it for you.  But to provide it in a way that shows Christian love, care, concern and even defernence to the needs of others so that we are all truly one body.  To isolate people to a council room says, you are not part of the broader body, we need to segregate you.  I would challenge each church to truly think through the issues involved and not simply limit their elements to GF or not, but to take the full range of allergies into account and try their best to serve all God's people from the one loaf.

 

 

If you want a great book on this history of the church related to contraception, i recommend Charles Provan's The Bible and Birth Control.  Two other works worth considering as well are Kippley's Birth Control and Christian Discipleship or Feldman's Birth Control in Jewish Law.

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