How Young Is Too Young?

     It’s a question I often get asked about Communion, both by parents who want to do the “right thing” relative to their children and the church’s rituals, and by others who grew up in congregations in which there are lots of “rules” about children participating in the Eucharist: they have to be a certain age, be baptized, have spoken in tongues, or mastered one of several catechisms before receiving Communion. Most of these restrictions in Christendom reflect a desire that the child “understand” the sacraments prior to receiving them. If one is raised with these convictions, it can indeed be a little unsettling to land in a United Methodist Church, in which we regard the Sacraments as “Holy Mysteries,” incapable of being understood even by the most astute and credentialed theologian, and therefore available only by the Grace of God to both infants and adults.

     The directive in our Book of Worship says of Communion, “All who intend to lead a Christian life, together with their children, are invited to receive the bread and cup. We have no tradition of refusing any who present themselves desiring to receive” (page 29, emphasis mine). In other words, there is no velvet rope in front of the altar, restricting access to anyone. In United Methodist liturgical practice, barring children from the Lord’s Supper would be the equivalent of denying them a place at the family’s kitchen table at dinner time, a church supper, or a sibling's birthday party. Eastern Orthodox Christians, with whom we share a similar understanding of the Sacraments, put this conviction into practice by “spooning” the wine and bread into the mouths of infants, Clement of Alexandria (one of first Christian theologians) having called the Eucharist “milk from the breast of God.”

     It’s very true that young kids don’t understand what the Lord’s Supper is all about. As they grow, it is the parent(s)’ and Church’s job to explain the sacraments in age appropriate ways, at least to the extent of our own understanding, which is admittedly meager. In the meantime, kids understand intuitively being included and being excluded, and the act of inviting them to the Table in all of their chaotic youthful energy is one way we can reflect the Jesus’ love for them.

     Our Sacramental practice reflects our desire to be a Church of sticky fingers and sloppy kisses, in which no child (of any age) will ever bear the stigma of being unwelcomed or an outsider. That means we will have to staff our nursery and Sunday School faithfully, delight in the fidgety little body next to us, provide copious amounts of crayons and coloring books, and go out of our way to soothe the frazzled parent who could easily have stayed in bed on a Sunday morning, but chose instead to bring that little one to the house of the Lord to the delight of our Savior.

     This Holy Mystery, our most recent statement on Communion, puts it this way: “the grace given through Holy Communion is offered to the entire church, including those who are unable to respond for themselves. Children are members of the covenant community and participants in the Lord’s Supper.” Thanks be to Jesus, our Savior, who invites to his table all who love him.