Being born in the United States of America brings immediate advantages and privileges. I was born into several communities all with their attached responsibilities and privileges. I was born into the extended families of both my mother and father, into the rural state of Wyoming, and I was born into a church community. I received wonderful rights merely by being born to the right man and woman. The inverse is true, though. Because I was not born to English or Canadian parents, I am excluded from many things children in those countries enjoy as a right of birth. It is the nature of the world. Inclusion in some groups means exclusion from others.
But as a young girl, the most important privilege I was anticipating was one I didn't get to exercise from birth. Although I was not an outlaw, I'd broken no laws, and I was a citizen in good standing, one wonderful privilege was withheld from me. I didn't get to exercise that privilege until I had gone through extensive training, passed two tests administered by the state, and had proper insurance. No one seemed to think this an unreasonable thing. In fact, many thought children, with demonstrably poor judgment much of the time, should actually have to wait even longer than the law required.
My father paid for me to attend driver's training courses, and he spent hours upon hours impressing into my psyche (much to the irritation of my husband at times) the hugely dangerous business driving is. My father, fearing the consequences of the misuse of this privilege, invested a LOT into training me to drive safely and responsibly.
But driving held out so many benefits. I would have access to greater community, I could get a proper job beyond babysitting occasionally, and freedom! Oh the sweet, sweet feeling of independence from my parents! Why is it fair to make me wait so interminably long? This should be my right, after all, as an American citizen! Why should I be excluded as if I were someone outside the community? Watching everyone drive while I have to wait for the proper training feels unbearable at 13, so exclusionary.
Well, sixteen is far, far in my past, and of course I have no squabble now with the government putting requirements on the privilege of driving. A car is a lethal weapon and many a foolish youth has ruined his life and the life of others by failing to appreciate the dangerous privilege in his care.
But consider this:
"Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world."
Wow! That is strong language. That is strong warnings. The Lord's Supper must be something powerful that the misuse of it can result in judgment and condemnation with the world, with those outside of the believing community.
Presumably those leading churches today and administering the Lord's Supper have read these verses. But I was told a story by my sister who happened to visit a large Calvary Chapel church when they were serving communion. She and the friend who had brought her to the church sat at a table in a cafe of the church and were watching the service on a big screen. There were families and various other couples seated at nearby tables. When it was time to be served the Lord's Supper, sealed communion kits were placed at their table. The children in the room opened their kits and began playing with the "bread" (some kind of cracker) and "wine" (grape juice.) It was a very institutional, hygienic event, but not communal and not reverent. The fact that there are pre-packaged communion kits that churches can buy in mass means this must not be an isolated incident. How common is this in the broader Christian community?
How many leaders of our churches are handing the keys of the car to those uninstructed in the faith, who have not been trained in how to eat the bread and drink the cup in a worthy manner? How many pastors take little or no time to love those he has been given the care of, those so beloved to Christ He shed His own blood for them, by training them in the right use of the holy things of God?
Anyone who has taught little children know they are born with foolishness in them. I often have to take time to instruct the children of my own home, and in my Sunday School class on how to handle the holy things of God. They are naturally irreverent and going for fun and laughs over the proper use of God's name and Word. But if I believe this warning, if I believe the Lord's Supper has real power, for great good but also for great harm, then I will take the time to carefully instruct my children in the faith, to train them to handle the holy things of God with reverence and love.
Not being able to drive a car did not make me feel excluded as a child from the community of Americans. But the precautions placed around the privilege DID make me appreciate the responsibility that came with the privilege of driving. So waiting to take the Lord's Supper until I was properly trained and of an age that could rightly understand the seriousness of the act I was engaging in, DID heighten my reverence and value of the privilege of the Lord's Supper.
My children are included in the community of faith by the fact God placed them in a believing household and He placed His sign upon them, the sign of baptism. He promised them all the privileges and benefits of being born into His covenant community. They are excluded only if they place themselves outside the community through rebellion and unbelief. They were not placed in our family on accident. God intended them for Himself. While salvation is through belief in Jesus Christ alone, they are born into the body that contains the gospel and proclaims it to all the world. But the Lord's Table keeps us from presuming on our birth. I am never to presume that I am saved merely because I am born into the church, the mistake most of Israel made. The Lord's Supper teaches me that I must believe all the promises proclaimed from the preaching of the Word FOR MYSELF. I can never say, I am a believer because I was born into this Christian family. Participation in the Lord's Supper is taking on the benefits of adult participation in the church, as well as the risk of curses if I fail to believe in the salvation of Christ and despise His body.
The Reformed churches take this very seriously. So seriously, we take a lot of care in the training of our children for this privilege. Our churches use the great Heidelberg catechism, a catechism children have been memorizing and studying for generations. A document so clear and beautiful in its exposition of the gospel, it brought Abraham Kuyper, the great Dutch leader, to his knees in repentance and faith. An exposition of the gospel so comforting that adults come to tears at the common recitation of the very first question and answer. It is just a tool. It is not the Bible. But it is a faithful exposition of the gospel and clear instruction on the believer's response to the gospel. It is a good gift that God gave His people through the providences of history.
In addition to the systematic teaching of the Heidelberg, our ministers and elders train the youth in the knowledge of God's acts toward His church through history, and they cultivate relationships through this process that often forge great loyalty and care between the leaders and the children of the church. I have heard it said that children always have a fondness for their catechism instructor, even years into adulthood. This is certainly true of me. What a privilege to teach children the faith and to be taught by men of faith.
God gave us two sacraments. Both teach us very necessary things about the nature of His covenant body. With great power comes great responsibility. Participation in the Lord's Supper is a powerful thing. In teaching our children their heavy responsibility we so teach them their great privilege.
