Eating Disorders and Worship

Eating disorders present many challenges to worship and especially to communion practices because individuals with eating disorders will often experience discomfort with both the physical food of the eucharist as well as the bodily themes associated with it.  Cognisance of the issues presented by eating disorders challenges us to create communion practices that can be positive and meaningful for individuals in different places within the recovery process, such as blessing that can be taken with or in place of the bread and drink, as well as language that emphasizes how the body of Christ is OUR body-- suffering, bruised, hurting, and in solidarity with our own bodily struggles.