Should Children Participate in the Lord's Supper?

How do you remember people who are important to you? Chances are you have a picture in a frame or, if you’re like me, you keep them handy on your iPhone so you can look at them whenever you want. That’s what I do with pictures of my six grandchildren!

How do we remember Jesus? He said the Lord’s Supper (communion) is one very important way to do that. And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22:19

It’s important that we never forget Jesus or what He did for us. When Jesus met with His disciples that night for the Passover meal, He broke bread and shared the cup with them and said that the bread represented His body and the cup represented His blood He would give while going to the cross. That was a lot of love He had for us.

All of us should think about what this means and think about Jesus. But who should actually participate in the Lord’s Supper? Should children join in when we pass the bread and cup? How do we decide? And if they shouldn’t, how do we explain that to them?

Let’s go to the Bible to answer those questions. 1 Corinthians 11:27-28 says this:
“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”

Then who should eat the bread and drink the cup? Those who are willing and able to seriously consider what it means. That means those are displeased with themselves because of their sin and at the same time are thankful that Jesus has saved them. It means those who are willing to examine themselves honestly, admit their sin and to ask for forgiveness. Participating in “an unworthy manner” also applies to the believer who would have unconfessed and unrepentant sin in his life and who would take the Lord’s supper in a casual manner. It is a serious thing for a person to be so calloused in his heart that he would blatantly continue in sin knowing that Jesus had to suffer and die for those sins. So it’s important that we take this time very seriously. If believers honestly examine themselves confessing and forsaking all known sin and confess that Jesus is their Lord and that Christ’s death pays for their sins, they are “recognizing the body” in a way that allows them to participate in a worthy manner. In order for a person to truly remember Jesus, they must have met Him and be in right fellowship with Him.

Young children who are unable to grasp these concept are not ready to participate "in a worthy manner." They will no doubt say, “That’s not fair! Why don’t I get to eat and drink too?” We found that our children took the Lord’s Supper more seriously as a result of our requiring them to wait. It’s not snack time for everybody. It’s a very serious spiritual act of worship. This is a meaningful memorial of Who Jesus is and what He has done for us.

Think about it. There are lots of things that children are not allowed to do. Young children don’t always want to sit in a child seat while riding in the car—but we still require it for their safety. We don’t allow them to drive until they reach the proper age and ability. We don’t let our children eat chocolate cake for breakfast (unless Dad is in charge!) We don’t let our children stay up as late as the grown-ups because they need more sleep (and we need our “quiet time!”) There are lots of things we say “No” to. The Lord’s Supper should be included as one of those—until they’re ready to self-evaluate their spiritual condition and have given their hearts to Jesus.

Holy week and Easter is coming up soon. Take time to discuss this with your children and help them to understand what the Lord’s Supper means. God will use the conversation to help them to take the whole subject of sin more seriously and what Jesus did on the cross. Think about it... The Holy Spirit could very well help your child to come to faith in Jesus as a result of your taking the time to consistently explain and discuss this important subject with them! Wouldn't that be awesome? You will be glad you did and it will help make your worship time together less stressful and more meaningful.

Should a Christian fast for "lent?"

Now that Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints have won the Super Bowl, the celebration and Mardi Gras is well underway. Many will follow the celebration with a 40 days religious observance known as "Lent" which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17th. In my estimation, for many, Lent will be a time of worldly regret for what they did during Mardi Gras. But the forty days of focus on God could be a significant time of spiritual renewal. Though it's not part of my denomination's tradition, with all the focus on New Orleans, I thought it might be appropriate to comment on this. I will be sharing this with the folks at Highland this week.

What is “Lent?”
Wikipedia: Lent, in Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. This Old English word initially simply meant spring (as in German language Lenz and Dutch lente) and derives from the Germanic root for long because in the spring the days visibly lengthen. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Conventionally, it is described as being forty days long, though different denominations calculate the forty days differently. The forty days represent the time that, according to the Bible, Jesus spent in the desert (Matthew 4) before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by Satan. This practice was virtually universal in Christianity until the Protestant Reformation. Some Protestant churches do not observe Lent, but many, such as Lutherans, Methodists, and Anglicans do.

Why should a Christian fast for Lent?
Some Christians fast during Lent because of sorrow at the loss of our Lord and the expectation of the resurrection on Easter, the intention of giving our individual relationship with God more depth and more seriousness of purpose, and the need to prepare spiritually for the celebration of Easter.

Personally, fasting during Lent could improve your focus on God and increase your time in prayer as Easter approaches. The purpose would be to dedicate yourself to Christ as you remember what He has done for you and as you prepare for Easter.

What is fasting?
Abstaining from something, usually food, for spiritual purposes.

What does the Bible say? (That's the most important Question!)
Some Biblical examples: Moses (Exodus 34:28; Deut. 9:9,18), David (2 Samuel 12:16), Elijah (1 Kings 19:8), Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:4); Esther (Esther 4:16), Daniel (Daniel 1:12), Anna (Luke 2:37), Paul (Acts 14:23), Jesus (Matthew 4:1-2), the early church (Acts 13:2).

Jesus placed fasting on the same level as financial giving and prayer (Matthew 6:1-18). Jesus said that there is a time for fasting (Matthew 9:15).

Paul says we should give ourselves at times to prayer and fasting (1 Corinthians 7:5).

What is the purpose of fasting?
The primary purpose of fasting is to focus on God and to center our attention on Him. In doing so, we glorify God (Zechariah 7:5).

Outer fasting is to lead to inner prayer, worship, and devotion. We “fast from food so we can feast on God.”

Fasting is not for personal glory or any other selfish motives (Matthew 6:16-18).

Secondary purposes of fasting: fasting can reveal non-essential things that control us and take precedence in our lives (1 Corinthians 6:12); fasting can increase the effectiveness of prayer (2 Samuel 12:16); fasting can bring guidance from God in decisions (Acts 14:23); fasting can bring revelations (Acts 13:2); fasting can help our physical well being (Daniel 1:12); fasting can aid in concentration; fasting can help bring deliverance for those who are in bondage. But these benefits come only when fasting is our attempt to diligently seek God.

What are the different types of fasting?
Absolute fast: no food or water for a period of time (Exodus 34:28; Esther 4:16)
Normal fast: only water, but no food or other drink (Nehemiah 1:4)
Partial fast: usually only water, juices, and sometimes fruit (Daniel 1:12)
Lent fast: giving up something specific for the duration of Lent (40 days leading up to Easter).
Other things to fast from: People, media, telephone, certain activities/habits, etc.

Fasting should never be to fulfill a religious regulation or tradition. It must be motivated by our personal desire to seek Jesus and to be filled with His Spirit for the purpose of bringing glory to God.

Anything that helps a Christian to bring glory to God is a good thing. That's why we're here.

Some material on Fasting & Lent courtesy Nelson Searcy, Journey Church of NYC.

“Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, 
and they're always glad you came. 
You wanna be where you can see, 
our troubles are all the same. 
You wanna be where everybody knows 
Your name. 

You wanna go where people know, people are all the same.
You wanna go where everybody knows 
your name.” –Cheers theme song

Yeah I know the TV show took place in a make-believe bar. But I believe the show’s theme song really describes the deep longing of the human heart. I think we all want to be loved and accepted and to have people who are glad to see us—even though they know we have plenty of faults and shortcomings. Where life is real and friends are sharing their honest struggles and troubles. And whether they’re laughing uncontrollably or crying unashamedly—they’re doing it together.

"So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart..." Acts 2:46

I firmly believe the place God intended for that to happen is with His people. Where they’re meeting together, hanging out, talking about life and how God’s Word relates to our everyday problems. A place where encouragement is taking place and where people are experiencing the “one anothers” of the New Testament.

“America is becoming a nation of strangers.” –Vance Packard

Do you have some “real” friends who will love, encourage and be there for you as you navigate through this thing we call life? Sure you can find friendships or acquaintances in many places, but God’s plan is that we experience real community in the context of His church with other Christians who are—though not perfect, growing and sincerely seeking God’s will and guidance for each other. As someone said, “We all need a place where our mistakes aren’t rubbed in, they’re rubbed out!”

Small Group life is a key component in Highland’s strategy to grow deeper as we move forward in growing and reaching our community for Christ. I’m excited about what God is doing in our church and look forward to seeing the difference it will make in people’s lives! Because You wanna go where people know, people are all the same.
You wanna go where everybody knows 
your name!”

Let Freedom Ring

Dr. King was an incredible speaker and often spoke out against social and moral injustice. Clearly, he was not merely a hearer or speaker of the Word, he was a doer. And if he were here today, I have no doubt he would not only condemn but actively work against one of the greatest social injustices of our time.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." --Dr. Martin Luther King

Isn't it ironic that the MLK holiday celebration and the anniversary of Roe v Wade occur in the same timeframe? As we celebrate Dr King and his dream, let us never forget "the abortion industry kills as many black people every four days as the Klan killed in 150 years." http://ow.ly/E6QR

I have a dream that America could one day be a place where the womb would no longer be the most dangerous place for a baby in America. Let freedom ring.

I want some calluses in 2010

While on a recent study retreat, the Lord kept bringing a verse to my mind which I'm claiming for 2010: "And as he taught them, he said, Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations' ? (Mark 11:17 cf. Isaiah 56:7)

In a time of terror attacks, war, an economy in trouble, friends with cancer, many marriages and families falling apart and many millions who need to know Christ, is there a time when prayer is more needed for God's people?

I remember hearing the story of two Kentucky churches located in a small community where there was a major whiskey distillery. Both churches complained that the distillery gave the community a bad image and contributed to the moral breakdown of society. What made matters worse was the owner of the whiskey company was a very outpsoken atheist. Church folks had tried unsuccessfully for years to shut down the distillery. Finally, the two churches gathered together on Saturday night in a joint prayer meeting asking God to intervene. All through the evening, a powerful thunderstorm raged. Then to the delight of the church people, a lightning bolt suddenly hit the distillery and burned it to the ground. The next morning, the subject of the sermon in both churches was "the power of prayer."

The insurance adjuster promptly notified the distillery owner that they would not honor the claim--they couldn't pay the damages because the policy contained an exclusion for "acts of God." The distillery owner was furious and decided to sue both churches claiming, "they had conspired with God to destroy the building and his business." The churches denied they had anything to do with the fire. The presiding judge opened the trial with these comments: "I find one thing in this case most perplexing. We have a situation where the plaintiff--an avowed atheist, is professing his belief in the power of prayer, and the defendants--all faithful church members, are denying the very same power!"

That's the irony. Most Christians say they believe in the power of prayer--but in reality, do we live like we are depending on God to do miracles in our lives and in our church? In truth, there is nothing we need more desperately than powerful prayer.

The apostle James was known as "Old Camel's Knees." The reason for the nickname was because he spent so much time on his knees that calluses had developed on them. He wrote what he knew to be true, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:16b

What difference would it make if 2010 was truly a time of fervent prayer for God's people? It's time to make some calluses people.

Christmas Gifts

Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" and He meant it! (Acts 20:35)

"Yeah, give me presents!"

I noticed a Facebook friend said the other day she had gone shopping and didn't find anything on her list but had picked up two presents for herself! Sure, it's fun to get stuff. But if we just spoil ourselves with more greed or crush one another trying to save $50 on a plasma TV, isn't that sort of missing the point of what Christmas is all about?

* God the Son gave up His position in Heaven as He laid aside His glory to give Himself for us.
* God the Father gave His Son.
* Mary and Joseph gave themselves over to God's plans for them (when they probably had some plans of their own before the angel showed up).
* A multitude of angels gave their praise and worship and witness.
* Shepherds gave themselves, their worship and their witness.
* The wise men gave themselves, their time and treasure and they worshiped the King.

True Christmas celebrating would be for those who are able to give more to missions, more to help families who've fallen on hard times and more to bless others rather than ourselves. A true Christmas gift could be to visit a nursing home on Christmas Eve or Christmas day to maybe read the Christmas story, sing carols, pray or just give ourselves and be with some lonely people. Imagine how Christmas would be if all true followers of Jesus would serve somebody, love somebody, visit someone who needs encouragement and tell them how Jesus and Christmas has changed their lives! Now that would be a huge Christmas party and we'd all be filled with intense Christmas joy (we wouldn't even need the alcohol version!)

That first Christmas was a giving party. Now it's our turn.