In the last week or so I have been involved in planning an All Age Communion for the Yorkshire Baptist Association’s Assembly in June. A little birdie told me that the same idea (All Age Communion) was proposed for the Joint BUGB and BMS assemblies in Brighton, but it was quickly vetoed.
What is it with us Baptists? Most of us (not all, I know) want to prevent children from taking the bread and the wine because they ‘don’t understand’. But, if we rigorously applied such a criteria to all who come to a service of the Lord’s Supper, how many of us actually would be allowed to participate? I wonder!
Most of us (again, not all) have an entirely open table. Anyone who comes into our churches would be allowed to receive bread and wine without question or objection. But we withhold it from the believing children of families already in membership with us.
Our policies are totally inconsistent. And we can’t even see it. Jesus must weep.
What is it with us Baptists? Most of us (not all, I know) want to prevent children from taking the bread and the wine because they ‘don’t understand’. But, if we rigorously applied such a criteria to all who come to a service of the Lord’s Supper, how many of us actually would be allowed to participate? I wonder!
Most of us (again, not all) have an entirely open table. Anyone who comes into our churches would be allowed to receive bread and wine without question or objection. But we withhold it from the believing children of families already in membership with us.
Our policies are totally inconsistent. And we can’t even see it. Jesus must weep.
2 comments:
I think its about education. We need to help educate churches to view the child in a different way. not as an empty vessel, but as an active learner who is on the journey of faith like anyone else. This is something that has taken place in education, but is still a minority view in most churches.
Hiya,
I strongly recommend Daphne Kirk's little book: When a Child Asks to Take Communion to use with staff teams or individuals. (Kevin Mayhew Publishers I think)
We've managed to include all ages round the Lord's table at least twice a year out of the twelve times that we hold communion in our morning services and I and others on staff have worked hard to educate parents as well as the children themselves about this.
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