Sunday, August 27, 2006

Communion Meditation-Faith of a Little Child

As we gather at this meal each Lord’s Day, we are reminded of God’s goodness to us. We need this reminding because we have been out in the world, not of it, but in it. And being in the world makes us painfully aware of our own sinfulness. The world pulls at us and we may even wonder if we are of it and not just in it. But that pulling is because there is resistance on your part. You are pulling back and that is because you are not of this world but you are of Your Father’s kingdom, the kingdom of our Lord and Christ.

We eat this meal as the congregation of the Lord, the people of God. Among us are little ones, children who also eat of the food of God. Some of them are quite small and do not have much understanding of what they do. They do not understand the distinctions of transubstantiation, consubstantiation, the real presence, the prayer of preparation, the meal as a sacrament, instituted by Christ and many such things. If we required them to know all of this, and to know it well, it would be many years before they could eat. Perhaps some of you adults would even have to abstain from eating until you learned more. But that is not what our children do. They eat the meal of God with the people of God. They do so cheerfully and with great enthusiasm. It is the highlight of their service. It is done in simpleness, sincerity and faith. When they eat, they know that they belong to this congregation of the Lord, even if they cannot articulate that doctrine exactly.

People of God, adults as well as children, we must learn this. You have pulled back from the world because you are not of it. You are of Your Father in Heaven. You know this because you are here at His table with His people. So, look around at the congregation, especially the little ones, know that you are of them, in Christ’s kingdom and partake, like them, with the faith of a little child.

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