One of the things that has become apparent in my transition into the United Methodist Church is that there are some areas of theology and church practice on which I will have to develop a new perspective. The service of Communion is one of those things.
The denomination in which I grew up placed a great deal of emphasis on being an appropriate age to receive communion - one needed to be fully aware of the symbolism of the event and what it all meant. Of course, I had adopted the same point of view. It made sense to me.
In the UMC, though, things are done a bit differently. Children of all ages are encouraged to receive communion...even down to Hannah (almost 6) and Ike (almost 4). At first, I wasn't sure I wanted my own kids to participate. I even went so far as to ask Melissa to stop them from receiving...but my wife replied by saying that she wasn't sure she could stop them without causing a scene.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when we served communion. My son and daughter were sitting in the back of the sanctuary with one of the older couples in the church. As the stewards were handing out the bread and juice, I just happened to glance back in time to see my son take the bread. This seems like an appropriate place to mention that on this particular Sunday we were all receiving the elements together - each was to hold on to the bread and juice until all had been served.
Ike was having none of that. He grabbed a piece of that bread and popped it straight into his mouth. In a flash, I went through two different reactions - frustration that he would do that and a realization from God that there was absolutely nothing wrong with what he did. Moreover, I have come to realize that I need to be more like my son. While I was somewhat impatiently waiting for the stewards to finish, Ike just couldn't wait to participate. Even though he doesn't know the symbolism and all the theology of Communion, he instinctively knew the most important part - "This is for me, and I want it...now."
What a difference in attitude! While we "grown-ups" often spend our time before communion looking around the sanctuary at our fellow worshipers or, if we are really holy, somberly meditating for a few minutes...the children just take what is given to them and cram it in their mouths as fast as they can. They don't need to think about it, they don't need to know all the details...they just want it.
My prayer is that God would help me to learn to take communion like my son - with less concern for theology and more of an attitude that I just want whatever it is that God is willing to give to me.
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