When we bring a baby home from the hospital, even though that baby doesn’t speak English, we begin speaking to the baby in English anyway. In fact, we speak English to the baby at the hospital. We do this, not because we are confused on the point, but rather because we understand that this is how a child acquires native fluency. As we speak to the child, we correct mistakes as they arise, but we expect that a large portion of what we say will go right over his head.
When we bring small children to the Table here, we are doing something similar. Our church constitution does not allow parents to simply expect their kids to figure the Supper out by themselves. Some of them might be able to do so, but as they come, we ask parents to regularly and consistently remind the children what this is, what we are doing, and why.
Because we celebrate this meal every week, it is not necessary to say everything about it every week, but it is necessary to go over the basics every Lord’s Day, week to week. You should be saying things like, “This bread is for you,” “Jesus died for all of us,” “This cup is the blood of Jesus, shed for you,” “We are all one body,” and “The death of Jesus is the salvation of the world.”
Keep it simple. Keep it basic. Vary what you tell your children week to week—so that they will grow up into a communicant fluency. We don’t want sixteen-year-old kids who have never thought about these things. We want sixteen-year-old kids who have thought about them for fifteen years. So all of you, come, and welcome.