Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct/73

Contributor - Frank de Vries

Title - Should Children Participate in the Lord's Supper?

Topic - Lord's Supper

INTRODUCTION

The Church of Jesus Christ exists ,outside the camp' (Hebrews 13: 13) i.e. it exists in the wilderness of the world! The Church is a Pilgrim People. 'God's own people' (I Peter 2 : 9) endeavor to understand by faith the will of God to nourish and sustain its life in the wilderness. The living Lord has assuredly a word for the specific needs of each new generation of His followers. The needs of God's people are not quite the same in each generation. Our needs are different today from what they were, for instance, during the Reformation. Moving along with the Good Shepherd through history, we have arrived at a different place, on our journey. We are involved in a different world, with a different culture and shocking values. Within and without the Church we are exposed to confusing voices. Jesus warned us to 'watch and pray!'. No wonder! Satan always strikes in different ways; he uses subtle new tricks. He is not glued to a set pattern of deceptions; he does not allow himself to get into worn out traditions.

As always, the Lord's people need spiritually sensitive receivers with built in filters - God's word hid in our hearts. The Spirit of the Lord illumines the Lord's will for us in our confusing times. Both, God's word and the Holy Spirit will enable us to filter out the false leading us astray on our journey.

QUESTIONS

It is refreshing to note that questions are being raised in regard to many believes and practices in the Church. The Body of Christ is alive. Also in regard to the Table of Communion the Lord has given to His people on their journey through the wilderness, questions are being raised. Such questions as:

- How often should the Lord's Supper be cerebrated?

- Is the Lord's Supper a somber confession of our unworthiness? or is it a joyful celebration of forgiveness and redemption?

- Do we really need a preparatory service? Has being- prepared to meet the Lord and brothers and sisters become a four times a year affair?

- How come that children of the faithful are not allowed to participate in the Lord's Supper?

- Can the Lord's Supper be celebrated by small groups without the presence of a minister?

These are some of the questions that are raised. In the rest of this article I like to share some thoughts about children and communion. This topic is discussed on both sides of the ocean. Most major denominations are involved in the debate. Readers of Pioneer will know that our General Synod voted on the subject at its last meeting. (There is some literature on the subject.) (1)

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

First let us look at this subject from a historical point of view. Does the history of the Church teach us anything in regard to children participating in the Lord's Supper? The information is meager. Some is available. For example in the third and fourth century "children communicated, infants receiving from the cup only". (2)

Another source is the Clementine Liturgy which provided that mothers bring their children to receive communion. The church father Augustine felt that children should participate in Communion n order to be saved (John 6 : 53). In 1215 the Roman Catholic Church (separated from the Eastern Church circa 1054) introduced the concept 'years of discretion', when a child was able to distinguish between right and wrong. This was the age of seven.

At this age a child is able to make a formal confession of sin (see TIME article When to Confess in September 3, 1973 issue). It is most interesting to note that parents were charged with the responsibility to instruct the child in the meaning of 'communion'. Calvin, a man of great faith and learning, felt that a child, before he turned into an adolescent, should confess his faith in Jesus Christ and receive communion. Let him speak for himself:

A child of ten would present himself to the church to declare his confession of faith, would be examined in each article, and answer to each; if he were ignorant of anything or insufficiently understood it, he would be taught. Thus, while the church looks on as a witness, he would profess the one true sincere faith, in which the believing folk with one mind worship the one God. (3)

In one of his treaties Calvin shows the degree of knowledge children had about the meaning of the Lord's Supper. In his treaties The clear explanation of sound doctrine concerning the true partaking of the flesh and blood of Christ in the Holy Supper (to dissipate the mists of Tileman Heshusius) he writes: "Even children, by the form which we commonly use, are fully instructed how to refute the silly calumny" (4) (slanderous accusations).

From the above we conclude that according to Calvin children of the faithful were ready to receive communion at the age of ten. It seems to be his opinion that such children were spiritually mature enough to confess Christ as Lord and Saviour, and therefore ready to share in bread and wine. This, we assume, was actually practiced!

Questions arise in our minds: "Why did a different tradition develop in the Reformed Churches?" "Why was the age to make confession of faith in the churches raised to a much later age?" Two possible answers come to mind. First, the post-reformation church was much influenced by the rationalism of that time. The natural rational ability of man was glorified. "What seemed to be the prevailing belief in Western Europe was confidence in man's mind." (5) This rationalism also shaped and conditioned the theological thinking of the times. In addition to 'confession of faith' it was required that a person have adequate intellectual knowledge of God and the Way of salvation. For such required rational knowledge of the Christian revelation a person had to be 'older'. The rational ability of a child, after all, is very limited. Second, it seems that there developed a certain form of pietism necessitating a "time of probation" to see whether a baptized person would show evidence of genuine rebirth and/or election. Thus to be really sure that children and adults were 'in', we did not look for the fruits of the grace of the Lord in their lives, but rather we asked the heretical Arminian question, "Have YOU accepted the Lord". After all, we want to be sure! Sure on the basis of what man does and not basing our assurance on the Word of God like the Apostle Paul did "nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 8 :39). Confession of faith is in essence quite different from accepting the Lord.

What does the word of God say?

Does the Lord allow children to ,take, eat and drink the symbols of His body and blood? Are children part of the communion Of saints? In the Old Testament we read that the Lord said to His people, "You and your children leave the land of slavery and cross the Red Sea." At that time the Lord did NOT say to the parents, "Leave your children behind until they are old enough to decide for themselves whether or not they like to leave the Land of slavery and be redeemed by Me." Children are participants in God's redemptive grace! They were set free along with the parents! Children of believing parents belong to God's people. No doubt! In addressing the congregation of Ephesus the Apostle Paul writes, "to the saints . . ." (1 : 1). When the saints are admonished in 4 : 1 6 : 20, he includes the children in chapter 6 :1-4 telling them to obey your parents in the Lord".

The apostle seems to take it for granted that children know the Lord, and he calls them to confess the Lord in their lives by obeying His command. The Lord believes in the solidarity of the family' This is why children are baptized. This is why children along with their parents rise in church and confess: "I believe in God the Father Almighty . . ." This is the wonder of God's grace. These children believe! "Yes," you say, "they do, but they are such children yet". "They don't understand." "They should be adults - at least almost adults - before they can participate in all God's blessings in the church." Jesus did not seem to think in these terms. He put it the other way around: "Unless you (adults) become like children, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God." In our understanding of these words of Jesus the door of the Kingdom of God does not seem to be open for the intellectually, or rationally, or emotionally mature people. He seems to say: "It is open for the immature." It is open for children who need Me and who grow in faith, and be built up in grace and love. Children who need to be reassured that it is really true that Jesus is Saviour and Lord. This need does not depend in the first place on our personal feelings and thoughts. The Lord says, "you need Me" "Take and eat." We believe the Lord's word that we need Him, and obey Him. "He who does not obey the Son shall not see life," said the Saviour. Call it obedience in faith.

From the above scriptural evidence, I conclude that the Lord does not limit participation to His supper to adults, but to believers ---young and old believers.

In the Roman Catholic Church the Lord's Supper is elevated to such heights that only the priest can reach it, and has to come down to give the people only bread. Have we in the Reformed Church elevated the Table of the Lord to a level of spiritual maturity where Jesus' body and blood are out of reach for our children? Jesus came down to the level of sinful man. The level were people could see and. touch Him. Yes, taste and eat Him. If faith of the Adult is not even the size of a 'mustard seed', what must be the size of the faith of our children before we allow them to receive from the Lord's hand His body and His blood? Can young children not "proclaim the Lord's death till He come"? (I Cor. 11 :26b).

PSYCHOLOGICAL

There is also the psychological point of view. Is it not true that by keeping our children from the Lord's Table, we create the psychological impression that they really do not belong to the "communion of saints". We hate to say to them, "You don't belong to the Lord," yes they do, we believe, but they do not fully belong to God's people. They have to make another step. But what is that step when at their baptism we stated that a child of believing adults "is received by grace, sanctified in Christ, and numbered among His people, of which baptism is the sign and seal."

Yet, do we impress upon the minds of our children the negative image that they are outside the body of Christ or at least inferior members? Is there a constant damaging re-enforcement of not belonging?

Also from a psychological point of view teenagers need all the spiritual support they can get in their adolescent years. These years are most crucial in a person's life. It is the time when Satan pulls very hard, sin is most appealing, and resistance is often weak. Would the Lord want these years to be a time of 'probation"? Is he going to see whether the person He set free from sin is going to make it? The teenage years is a time when young people need to be reassured of forgiveness before destructive guilt has solidly established itself in their hearts and minds. This is a time when the church has to re-enforce the fact that they belong to Jesus and His body to give them stability when they are most unstable.

SOME QUESTIONS

Some of the following questions need to be considered in a wider discussion concerning children and the Lord's Supper:

1. Should children share in communion as a logical consequence of their baptism?

2. Is there a difference in 'intent' between baptism and the Lord's Supper?

3. What is the relationship of confession, and faith and communion? Should confession of faith be disengaged from Communion?

4. Are parents or elders responsible in the event that children be allowed to take communion?

5. Should 1 Corinthians 11 :2729 be applied to children communicants?

CONCLUSION

I don't think that very young children need to participate in the Lord's Supper. Child-communion as such is not necessary. The point is - do sin and forgiveness have some meaning. I believe that it is high time for us to encourage children around 10 years of age to make a simple, confession Of faith before the church, and become members in full communion, for they are journeying with us through the wilderness.

It is my wish that the above article will stimulate discussion in our Reformed congregations and some further reactions in Pioneer.

1. Confirmation and First Communion a study prepared for various Lutheran denominations in the U.S.A. and in Canada; Kinderen aan het Avondmaal, by Ds. B. J. Aalbers; a Study prepared by the General Synod of the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk and sent to all consistories of that church for study.

2. An outline of Christian Worship by William D. Maxwell, pages 18, 32.

3. Institutes of the Christian Religion by J. Calvin, Vol. 2, book 4, chapter 13.

4. Theological Treaties by J. Calvin, page 284.

5. A History of Christianity by K. S. Latourette, page 1003.

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