I knew that it was going to happen sooner or later. I had a big theological discussion with some of my classmates regarding when it is appropriate to begin service communion to children. Some said that first communion should coincide with confirmation, some said that the church should just set an age, others leave it to the parents to make a decision. In my church there was a class that you had to take, but the parents decide when to put you into the class.
Underlying this whole debate is the nature of the Eucharist itself. For Catholics, the bread and the wine become the actual body and blood of Jesus. Most protestant groups consider it to be symbolic, the bread remains bread and the grapejuice remains grapejuice. Lutherans try very hard to place themselves between these two camps. Lutherans believe in a thing called "consubstantiation." According to Luther, "the risen Christ is physically present in, with, and under the elements." Lutheran polity teaches that unconsumed bread is to be burned or buried, and unconsumed wine is to poured on the ground. So, you can see that even though Lutherans do not believe that the bread actually becomes the body of Jesus, we do treat it with a certain amount of reverence.
So here is my dilemma: If taking the Eucharist does something for you at anything other than an emotional/intellectual/spiritual level, then we should be giving it to everyone, regardless of age. If it is merely a emotional/intellectual/spiritual experience then I could see only allowing those who can understand what is going on to participate. However, if we do not allow children to participate in the Eucharist because they don't understand, then we should also not allow the senile or the mentally challenged to participate.
See my problem? I guess that is the problem associated with the Lutheran propensity for occupying the middle ground. Seminary is going to be fun.
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4 comments:
I'm a Mormon, but I thought I'd let you know our take on it: All children under the age of 8 (the age of accountability in our faith) are allowed and encouraged to take the Eucharist because, as they are completely free of sin, they are more worthy to do so and are closer to the kingdom of God than even the most devout worshiper.
Here's some Catholic stuff :-)
Canon 912: "Any baptized person not prohibited by law can and must be admitted to Holy Communion."
Canon 913, 1: "The administration of the Most Holy Eucharist to children requies that they have sufficient knowledge and careful preparation so that they understand the mystery of Christ according to their capacity and are able to receive the Body of Christ with faith and devotion."
Canon 914: "It is primarily the duty of parents and those who take the place of parents, as well as the duty of pastors, to take care that children who have reached the use of reason are prepared properly and, after they have made sacramental confession, are refreshed with this divine food as soon as possible. It is for the pastor to exercise vigilance so that children who have not attain the use of reason or whom he judges are not sufficiently disposed do not approach Holy Communion." This canon should not be misread. Just because the parents are not doing their job and someone else is does not mean that a baptized child should be denied the sacrament! This canon is meant to point out obligations to help children prepare and to make sure they are prepared, not be a road block to children who have negligent parents!
http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=410425&Forums=0&Experts=0&Days=3000&Author=&Keyword=first+communion&pgnu=1&groupnum=0
http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=410379&Forums=0&Experts=0&Days=3000&Author=&Keyword=first+communion&pgnu=1&groupnum=0
http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=409734&Forums=0&Experts=0&Days=3000&Author=&Keyword=first+communion&pgnu=1&groupnum=0
http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=409033&Forums=0&Experts=0&Days=3000&Author=&Keyword=first+communion&pgnu=1&groupnum=0
http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=401938&Forums=0&Experts=0&Days=3000&Author=&Keyword=first+communion&pgnu=1&groupnum=0
Hope that helps
pjh
Dave, you are such a christian dork. :-P
I say that in the most loving way possible. And no, I'm not really trying to disparage the issue of serving communion to children. But let's face it... it's not exactly an issue a lot of people would see the point of arguing over. :)
Having said that, let me now prove my christian dorkiness as well... ;-)
The Eucharist. Holy thing, that. Powerful stuff, spiritually (and we all know what is spiritual affects the material, emotional, mental, physical, social, etc.). (also, I don't see how it being an "emotional/intellectual/spiritual" experience translates into your needing to understand it in order for it to have an effect. There are plenty of things I experience that I don't understand, yet affect me)
Kids. Jesus obviously loved kids. And he said that we need faith like a child. Last I checked, faith was not contingent upon the ability to understand. And I mean, heck, even theologians don't understand the Eucharist!! Lest we forget, it is a mystery, remember? (yes, I'm reaching for that divine mystery card in my pocket) Should we then be barred from taking the Eucharist, just because we don't fully understand it? If not, then at what point do we have sufficient understanding to take it?
Paul said that we should not eat and drink in an unworthy manner, and I agree with him. We need to treat it with reverence, anything less would be profane. So we should teach kids to take it with reverence too. But I don't see how their ability or lack thereof to understand, should bar them from taking it.
km.
Here is my position as a radical.
You have to be intellegent enough to understand what you are doing. Otherwise, it has no meaning.
The end.
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