Received and Rendered

One of the concerns expressed about bringing young children to the Table, as we do, is the concern that we are neglecting the important element of having every communicant make a profession of faith. Are we not minimizing the importance of personal faith by doing this?

Now it is possible for bad things to come out of child communion coupled with weekly observance, but not if we remember what it is we are actually doing. A profession of faith is not necessary prior to coming to this Table because coming to this Table is a profession of faith. As we bring our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, we are not by-passing the need to profess our faith. Rather, we are professing our faith together, in the most solemn and regular way possible. As our children join us, they are being trained to profess their faith together with us.

The Lord’s Supper is not just an event where we receive something from God. We do receive the bread and the wine, and the grace carried by them, but we also render something to God. He gives us grace, and with that grace we return our profession of loyalty, allegiance, fidelity and faith. We are not coming to this Table to receive our reward, but rather we are coming here to transact the realities of our covenantal engagements with Him.

Another way of saying this is that the bread is an edible oath. The wine is an oath in a cup. We have no power to take on such a solemn oath in our own strength or in our own power. We would be fools to do so. But we believe in Jesus Christ, crucified and raised, and we trust Him with the security of all these engagements. We come to this Table with great joy, and we do so in order to profess our faith.

So come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.