It's funny how quickly our attitudes can change. When I was in First Communion class as a third-grader, there was still some sense that we had to "understand" what was going on at the Communion table in order to receive it. The former LCA even commissioned a lengthy study in the late 1960s, to determine what age of child can be expected to intellectually grasp the abstract concept of Jesus' Real Presence (That's when 5th grade, rather than Confirmation, became the norm). But I wonder: how many people at the table that night really "understood" what Jesus was doing? I wonder, were they even baptized? (Possibly by John, but certainly not in the name of the Triune God, as we now require). Did not fully "getting" it mean they didn't receive the benefits of this meal? I don't think so.
In many congregations, the attitude today is that children of any age are guests at the Lord's Table, the same as their parents. As far as I'm concerned, I'll gladly commune any child whose parents believe he/she is ready. This doesn't do away with lifelong learning about Communion as our level of spiritual maturity allows. It simply embraces reality: the amazing miracle of forgiveness and presence Jesus accomplishes there, is one that no living person can fully grasp. We're just grateful to be invited.
Lord, thank you, thank you, thank you for inviting me to your table. Amen.
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