Allow me to speak a word of exhortation to the covenant children who are growing up in this church. For as long as you can remember, you have been welcome here at this Table. You are baptized, and you are invited to be here, invited to partake. This means that you are just as much a Christian as the adults who are partaking of the bread and wine around you. You are fellow Christians with us—our shared communion means that we are brothers and sisters.
The Bible teaches us that Jesus is our elder Brother. He is also here with us, and He is also involved in this. The Bible also says that coming to eat and drink here is a reciprocal thing—all that means is that it goes both ways. If Jesus receives you here, then you must receive Jesus here. If Jesus receives your brothers here, then you must receive your brothers here. If Jesus receives your sisters here, then you must receive your sisters here. If Jesus receives all of us here, and He does, then we all must receive Him . . . and one another.
This means that every time you are counting on Jesus accepting you, you also accept Him. And just as you count on Him accepting all of you, just as you are, so also you accept all of Him, just as He is. This is just another way of saying that this Table helps you to grow up into faithful Christians, who will walk with Jesus Christ in the power of His Spirit all your lives.
It is not complicated. Love God, love His Word, love His Spirit. As He brings you closer to Him, He also gives you neighbors to love, neighbors to accept just as God has accepted you. Most often, for younger children, these neighbors will be your physical brothers and sisters. We all need to learn how to love, and so God gives us older brothers, and younger brothers, and older sisters, and younger sisters . . . to practice on. And He gave us to them so that they would have someone to practice on. So come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.
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