The Heretical Deep End?

It seems to be the season for communion stories! I had another experience this past Sunday where a 3-4 year old was interested in communion, and the parents were willing. I offered this your girl a piece of bread and she looked up at me smiling glad that I wasn’t only giving her a blessing. She was able to participate. These are great moments for me. In a way I feel like we are welcoming these children to the Body of Christ all over again.

However the story isn’t over yet, but I have to include a little side note first. In the parish I serve when a child is ready for communion they only receive the bread until they have the “official” training in 5^th grade. It is something that I have inherited, and have not chosen to play the blue chip to make a change. But Sunday changed my mind, not because she understood what she was asking for, but because I did.

So…this young girl received her bread from me, I offered her a blessing (may you know God’s love and care all the days of your life), and then I continued on being followed by the person serving the wine and grape juice. I served 2-3 more folks, and then out of the corner of my ear (can you say that?) I heard this phrase: “But mommy, I need something to drink with my bread.” I found myself pausing and laughing with the 10 others who heard her statement. I tell you what—if I could do it all over again I would have given her some grape juice because she asked her ‘mommy’ three more times for something to drink with her bread.

Now don’t think I am a fool—a three year old doesn’t reason it all out and doesn’t realize that she may be ‘eating and drinking judgment upon herself’ to quote a phrase that is widely misused…but I am sold on her desire to participate none-the-less. It would have been helpful if Jesus would have welcomed the kids to a Seder meal or anything like that. For me, though, that young boy giving the loaf of bread for the feeding of the 5000 might just be enough. It’s about participating and taking in faith that something even beyond reason is happening. That’s what I do every week, so why do we make such a big deal about getting it all right before we can be part of the community?

Any thoughts? Have I jumped off the heretical deep end here? Or have we historically jumped off the other end?