December 25, 2011

John 1:1-14

There’s something about stories that have extra power at Christmas, wouldn’t you agree?  I would say there’s something powerful about stories at any time of the year, but somehow at Christmas even adults will pause to listen, read, or watch a story that they might otherwise pass up.

 And today’s Gospel reading reads very much like a story.  It’s hard to hear the words from John without also hearing the words from Genesis 1.  In John we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  In Genesis we read, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”  And we could do a whole study on the connections between these two verses.  Those who study these things get really excited about parallel phrases like this.  They point to how the Word referred to in John is the Word that God spoke to bring creation into existence.  They use these verses to speak to how Jesus (the Word) was with God from the beginning of creation, which helps to defend his divinity.  They use these verses to say that Jesus’ birth is the incarnation of the Word that existed from the beginning of time—the message of God that was spoken through the prophets for hundreds of years finally had skin on.  All that the Jewish nation had been imagining about God, the Messiah, the Kingdom of God in the world, was finally going to be clarified by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  The work that God began in creation was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus.

And I can see those parallels.  I can see how scholars and theologians can get really excited about the literary, historical and theological connections between Genesis and John.  Given the right environment, I could easily join in these conversations and in the process lose sight of the story.

But then I stop and ask a question that anybody reading the Bible should ask—“SO WHAT?!?”  What difference does it make that the writer of John knew the writings of the Old Testament, and used the literary style in his writing?  What does that have to do with us and how we experience Christmas—and life—today?

Well, for one thing, there is good news in the fact that Genesis 1 is not the only creation story.  It’s good news that God didn’t create the world thousands of years ago and then step back and watch as creation sorted itself out—which often meant destroying itself.  John’s gospel reminds us that with Jesus there is a new creation story.  In Genesis, creation is followed by the reality of sin and brokenness, and Adam and Eve are cast out of the Garden of Eden and separated from God.  In John, the creation story is one of reconciliation and renewal—darkness has not overcome the light, the Word was made flesh and lived among the people, people who have been called children of God out of God’s love and desire for relationship.  And because we read this gospel text as people of faith who know the rest of the story, we hear in this creation story the promise of yet another creation story that has not yet been realized—the story that will be told when Sin, Death and the Power of the Devil are defeated once and for all, and when the New Creation is fully in place.  Yes, the message of Christmas morning is that God is still creating—and the story is not over.

Secondly, the gospel of John, like Genesis, tells the story of a God who initiated relationship with creation.  In Genesis, God speaks into the formless void to create order and life.  In John, this same God doesn’t just speak the Word, but the Word itself enters humanity completely and becomes flesh.  Eugene Peterson, in his paraphrase “The Message,” says that “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.”  The Word didn’t become flesh and live up on the top of the mountain, or out in the desert in a cave, or in the middle of the city in a palace.  The Word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood, was visited by sheep and shepherds, grew up with the kids down the block.  John reminds us again that the message of Christmas is that the same God who spoke creation into existence IS HERE AMONG US.  To be in relationship with God does not require special holiness juice or extravagant spiritual journeys to faraway lands.  The Word of God, Jesus Christ, is here, in our neighborhood…and this all because God wanted it to be that way.  This is God who comes to US, often before we even think to invite or ask him to.

Finally, the gospel of John tells a story of a God who gives us the freedom to be God’s children.  In Genesis, Adam is given the job of naming the animals.  But in John, God is the one who gives power to be named “child of God.”  Being a child of God is not our decision or our parents’ decision—it is God’s.  Eugene Peterson says we are “God-begotten, not blood-begotten or flesh-begotten.”  This means we are more than who our parents and environment have made us to be.  I don’t know about you, but knowing my family and our family drama—that’s good news!

Is it starting to make a difference to you?  Does it make a difference that God is still creating?  Yes, it does, because it means that the story is not over.  When we look around us and see more pictures of death and destruction than life and creativity, the birth of Jesus reminds us that God is still creating new life—the story is not over.  The darkness has not overcome the light, the creator has not abandoned the creation; the story is not over.

Does it make a difference that God took on flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood? Yes, it does, because it means we are not alone.  “The light shines in the darkness,” John writes.  In last week’s mid-week Advent service, Pr. Dave pointed out that the language in this verse is present tense—the Light, which we understand to be Jesus—began shining and continues to shine in the darkness.  So whenever people read these words, they can claim it for themselves—the light still shines in the darkness.  And the darkness has not overcome it.  Many of us are all-too-familiar with the reality of darkness.  Whether that darkness is disease, disaster, depression or discouragement, we know that the darkness is real…and that it’s powerful.  Unfortunately, especially at times like Christmas, so many of us are haunted by the very real power of darkness in our lives and in the world around us.  Jesus himself knew the power of darkness, most potently as he hung on the cross.  But even then—in the tightest grip of death and darkness—the light was not overcome.  God raised Jesus from the dead, and that means that the Light—the truth that in Jesus God moved into the neighborhood–is still more powerful than the darkness. That needs to be said again:  the Light is STILL more powerful than the darkness.  If this were the kind of crowd that said, “Amen,” I’d ask for an “Amen.”  Again, we who hear this story with the ears of faith need not be defeated by the reality of darkness…because we can claim the presence of the light right here in our neighborhood—in the middle of our daily living. God raised Jesus from the dead, and we believe that God will raise us from whatever death we may experience—whether physical or metaphorical.  That doesn’t mean we won’t experience death—we will.  But it does mean that through faith and life in Jesus, death and darkness will not have the last word.  And the extension of that message is that we, like John the Baptist, have been sent by God to be agents of light in our neighborhoods, in our schools, in our work places, and in our world.  The light shines in the darkness every time we open our hearts to people around us—when we visit those who are lonely, volunteer to feed the hungry or visit the sick, invite someone over for coffee or just tell someone they’re important.  The Light shines in the darkness each week as we gather together with others who face the darkness, and together confess our inability to defeat it on our own.  Then we are gifted with the strength to face another week.  The Light that we celebrate this morning will not be overcome by darkness—and as beloved children of God we get to be the ones to proclaim that with our lives and actions.  We have a message the world needs to hear—the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not—and will not–overcome it.

And finally, does it make a difference that Jesus gives us power, or the freedom, to become God-begotten children?  Absolutely it does.  The life and ministry of Jesus is all about him helping people see themselves as God-begotten, and shedding the power of other identity labels given to people by their community, their culture, or their context.  John invites us to re-define ourselves in light of God’s action—that we first of all exist because The Word spoke into the darkness to create life and light.  We are God’s children, regardless of the will or desires of the people who brought us into the world.  And that gives us an identity that nothing can destroy.  We don’t have to be defined by our parents, our siblings, our crazy in-laws or our even crazier great aunt Gertrude.  Not only are we not defined by them, but we are also not limited by their choices and mistakes.  We have power to be God-begotten children.  Not power we have ourselves, but power we’ve been given through faith in Jesus.  That makes a difference.  It makes a difference in how we treat each other.  It makes a difference in how we spend our money and our time.  It makes a difference in what we think is important and whether or not we are willing to step into the lives of those who are hurting.  We don’t have to live like the darkness of isolation, death and individualism defines us—we’ve been given the freedom and the power to live differently.  As children of God, we join God in bringing about God’s kingdom here on earth.  That’s what Jesus did, and that’s what this story invites us to do.

So, on this Christmas morning, regardless of whether or not you have friends and family to celebrate with, presents to open, and a feast to enjoy, we are reminded that we have a Christmas story worth telling again.  And we tell this story each time we come together for worship, which is why it’s so good that you’re here today.  In community we gather together for worship, so our story is that we are not alone and that we encounter God when we come together.  Together we confess our brokenness and receive the gift of forgiveness and new life, so our story is that we are valuable and valued.  In the Gospel reading today we are given the gift that exceeds anything anybody could wrap and put under a tree—the reminder that we are God-begotten, and that Jesus lives in our neighborhood and is constantly creating new life.  Soon we will come up to the altar and receive the feast that is more life-giving than any amount of turkey, ham or Christmas candy—the body and blood of Jesus Christ, given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins.  So, whether it’s your first Christmas or 97^th Christmas, may the story of God’s work in and through Jesus—that began in Genesis and continues today–make a difference in your life, today and every day.

Amen.

As disciples, we are also called to follow Jesus into ministry with our whole lives.  For some, that means going into public ministry in the church (as pastor, associate in ministry, church musician, youth director, diaconal minister, deaconess, etc.).  For most, though, it means living faithfully into whatever God has called and equipped you to do—in work, in your family, in how you spend your time and money, and how you respond to the needs of those around you.

How can you and your family explore the meaning of Epiphany at home this month?  Here are a few suggestions, which go along with the 4 Keys for practicing faith

Key 1: Christian Disciples engage in caring conversations.  Take time with your family this month to have caring conversation together.  This might mean:

• Turn off the T.V. and sit together at the table over a meal or on a walk at least once a week.
• As you say goodnight to your kids, take time to listen to the events of their day and the feelings and questions those events inspire.
• Take someone (spouse, partner, close friend) out for coffee or lunch

Key 2:  Christian Disciples engage in devotions.  Take time with your family this month to tend to your faith.  This could mean:

• Read the readings from Sunday at some other time during the week.  Each week’s readings are provided in the announcement bulletins.
• Listen to the radio together and sing along.
• Watch a movie together and look for how the storyline might relate to your faith.
• Say a prayer with your kids/spouse/loved ones at least once a week.

Key 3:  Christian Disciples engage in acts of service. Take time with your family this month to serve your community.  This could mean:

• Find a place to volunteer together
• Make a card or craft for someone on the church’s shut-in/prayer list (provided weekly in the announcement bulletin)
• Initiate conversation with a neighbor.
• Explore the variety of Christian Service opportunities through Advent’s Christian Service Commission (don’t know what we’re doing??? FIND OUT!)

Key 4: Christian Disciples engage in Rituals and Traditions. Take time with your family to experience the richness of ritual and tradition together.  This could mean:

• Send your kids off to school each day with a ritual (hug and a kiss, an “I love you,” or a “God loves you.”)
• Bless each other before going to bed (trace a cross on each other’s forehead and say, “May God bless you”)
• Tell a story of a family tradition you remember from when you were a kid.
• Learn about a ritual you see in worship (Procession, confession, passing of the peace)—what does it mean?

Our faith story often includes similar highs and lows.  We each have different experiences like the Transfiguration—where we find ourselves on the mountaintop, face to face with the divine reality of Jesus, God and Holy Spirit.  These experiences may often be followed by a reminder of our broken humanity and our need for repentance, renewal and Resurrection Light.  We often need to be reminded that Jesus is with us in those times of darkness and valleys, just as he is with us in those experiences of light and revelation.

How can you and your family step confidently into the darkness of Lent and the anticipation of new life?  Here are a few suggestions:

Journey together through caring conversations.  Tend to each other’s deep need for connection and care by actively listening and engaging in conversation together.

• Ask someone a question about their faith story: (“who introduced you to Jesus?” “What moment of darkness has led to new life and light in your life?” “If you could share one truth about God with someone else, what would it be?”)
• Share a blessing with someone (Tell someone how they are a blessing to you)
• Support someone who’s carrying a burden (with a card, a phone call, a meal together)

Strengthen your soul through devotions.  Take time with your family this month to tend to your faith.  This could mean:

• Attend a mid-week Lent service/study time
• Read each week’s readings for Sunday
• Read the newspaper and say a prayer over the people whose stories are told.
• Watch a movie together and look for how the storyline might relate to your faith.
• Say a prayer with your kids/spouse/loved ones at least once a week.

Connect to the community through acts of service. Enter into the reality of darkness and suffering around us with a message of light and redemption.

• Learn about one ministry in your congregation that is unfamiliar to you (music and worship, technology, Christian Service, Property, etc)
• Make a card or craft for someone on the church’s shut-in/prayer list (provided weekly in the announcement bulletin)
• Initiate conversation with a neighbor.
• Watch a documentary or movie about a global injustice issue. Follow up with learning more about that issue.

Experience the richness of Rituals and Traditions. Transitions and chaos can be stabilized through ritual and tradition.  Explore what that looks like for you:

• Start each meal with a blessing/table prayer
• Commit to attending weekly Wednesday night services during Lent
• Learn about the traditions surrounding Lent (praying/fasting, making pretzels, etc)
• Light a candle during the same meal each week (e.g. Sunday night dinner) for the season of Lent.

It doesn’t help that I watched this movie after spending a week at a continuing ed event focusing on faith formation and the role of families in faith development.  So I spent all week analyzing faith practices and approaches to faith development.  Based on that, it was hard to watch this movie without seeing the things I’d been thinking about all week show up.

If you’ve seen the previews for the movie, you know the story–a choir from Georgia is just ‘this’ close to winning at the national Gospel Choir contest, but in order to win they have to be willing to change their style and perspective a little bit, which means opening themselves up to the influence of someone who appears on the surface to have nothing to offer.  But they figure it out, they win, and everybody lives happily ever after (sorry to ruin it for you, but…).  In terms of storyline, it was not that creative.

But, the presence of two strong leading characters was interesting.  Queen Latifah is the choir director and a mother of 2 kids (one who is a star singer in the choir).  She presents the very traditional approach to Christianity–no swearing, be perfect, no dating, don’t admit weaknesses, don’t be too proud about your abilities b/c you’re just the instrument, trust that God will work something good out of every bad situation, and don’t ever question authority.  Dollie Parton is in the choir, wife of the former choir director, who present a little bit more of an…alternative approach to Christianity.  She’s obviously had multiple cosmetic surgeries, she’s had her choir robe refitted to be more flattering to her figure, she has 5 kids who may or may not be ‘on the straight and narrow,’ and she takes in her ‘rogue’ grandson without judgment or criticism of the decisions he or his parents have made.  She’s also a strong financial contributor to the church.

So these two women present two very different approaches to influencing faith and what it means to be a Christian.  For Queen Latifah, being a Christian means being faithful and satisfied with the life God has given, staying clean and un-marked by the ‘world,’ and standing firm in the conviction that things are going to be okay.  But as a result her kids are afraid of being imperfect and struggle with self-confidence.  For Dollie Parton, though, being a Christian means being honest about imperfections and flaws, staying strongly committed to family and relationships over rules and regulations, and being willing to be different and new–even if it’s a tad unconventional.  As a result, her grandson is boldly willing to claim who he is and what he stands for, even if it doesn’t match the party line of the majority.

And, of course, these two perspectives come into conflict with each other.  In the movie, the conflict is in the context of a very humorous fight in a restaurant, as well as in the relationship between the teenagers who are products of these two women.  And in the end the less conventional approach to life and faith wins out, with everybody experiencing a little bit deeper the freedom of the Spirit as they tread into new territory in both music and love.

I’m not going to lie–the movie is a bit cheesy.  It’s incredibly predictable…to the extent that you can almost call the next shot before it happens.  And while there may be a certain admiration for using fairly big celebrity names to make a movie that is essentially about the politics of church and what that does to families, it’s also pretty clear that the movie-makers were not sure what they wanted to say about God.  They try to say something about God and why people suffer, or about God and why relationships don’t work, or about God and doubt.  I think they even try to say something about the power of redemption and the possibility for fresh starts.  But in the end, anybody with a strong theological mind would probably say they missed the mark.

Anyway, I’d be interested in knowing what others who dabble in this faith formation stuff think of this movie. I’d probably use clips from the movie to spark discussions that would include questions like, “what do these people’s perspectives say about God…do we agree/disagree? What’s our alternative explanation?” or “what do we learn about the ways parents influence faith formation based on these teenagers and their view of themselves, each other, etc?”

I suppose, for a movie that really didn’t say much, there’s much to be said.

Last year and this year I’ve had the chance to preach around Christmas–last year on the Sunday after Christmas, this year on Christmas day.  And so I sit with the story I grew up with, and I wonder, “what else is there to say that will really make a difference in people’s lives?”  And, incredibly, something interesting emerges.  And I realize that this is the power of the Story–no matter how many times you hear it, if you listen with ears that want to hear, you’ll hear something new.

This Advent season has been very interesting for me, as I’ve seen tangible signs of God pushing me towards growth and new awareness.  I picked up an Advent devotional at a Catholic retreat center a few months back, and each day (almost) have sat with the reflections of a priest who works among the down-and-outs in Oregon somewhere.  His thoughts on Advent have connected waiting for Jesus with actively stepping into the lives of the poor, the hungry, the blind, etc.  And this has radically affected my ability to join in the hustle and bustle of consumers and pleasure-seekers.  In fact, I haven’t been able to do it.  I walk through a store desperately looking for something to speak to me (like the Pier 1 commercial says their stuff does), and…nothing.  I can’t get myself to buy one more trinket that likely feeds an unjust labor system and will end up on someone’s shelf or in someone’s closet.  But I do want to give something to people who have come to mean a lot to me.  So I’ve gone back to a ritual our family had growing up, and I’ve baked a few loaves of banana bread or zucchini bread.  Or I’ve created my own versions of the things I’m passing by in the store–like candle holders, ornaments or festive Christmas plates.  This has been therapeutic for me as I’ve discovered a creativity I’m not sure I realized I had.  Mostly I’ve looked at what I already have that could be bequeathed, willed (okay, handed down) to someone who might actually use it.  So, for example, the kids’ books on my bookshelf that likely won’t get read have been given to friends and family with kids learning to read.

In addition to the Advent devotional, I’ve been reading a book with a young adult small group that is about practicing following Jesus by living differently and participating in community.  It’s interesting that the author of this book, who I would assume is generically non-denominational, echoes a lot of what the Catholic priest says about serving the neighbor, listening to the poor, etc.  What the two authors are saying make it, again, hard for me to justify a lifestyle that is continually turned in on myself and unaffected by the real pain and suffering in the world around me.

Put all of that alongside the need to come up with something intriguing to say in a sermon, and I’ve had to sit down with the Christmas story and listen with new–or maybe just re-tuned–ears.  And I hear in the Christmas story themes like chaos, transition, prejudice and fear…even death and power-abuse.  Wait…really?  In the Christmas story?  Yes!  It’s all in there!!  And what that means is that I have a story in which to place my experience of chaos, transition, prejudice and fear.

Before I sound like I’ve totally swallowed the blue pill and bought the whole conspiracy (which I know people think this whole thing is), let me just say this:  whether it’s true or not…it’s still a powerful story.  And if people are willing to suspend disbelief to allow for things like Santa and reindeer, knowing the facts are not as important as the spirit of the story, why not similarly imagine the power of a story about a God who enters into humanity for the sake of redemption and reconciliation.  How?  Why? But what about….?!? Okay, true…there’s a lot about the story that doesn’t always make sense.  But it’s powerful, nonetheless…at least, it is for me.   Just give it a chance…and listen to the story.

One meaningful ritual for children and adults is the Advent wreath.  Making an Advent wreath is as simple or as complex as you want it to be.  Here’s how you can make a very simple Advent wreath:

• Cover a round pizza pan with tin foil
• Find 4 blue or purple pillar or votive candles (not more than 3” high)
• Find 1 white pillar candle (taller than the rest…maybe 6” high)
• Place the 4 shorter candles around the pizza pan, and the white candle in the middle
• Fill in the wreath with green garland—real or pretend

Once your wreath is made, place it on your dining room table.  During dinner or after dinner on each Sunday of Advent, light a candle and read a Bible verse.  The white candle should be saved for Christmas morning.  Advent guides are easy to find in bookstores or online, but here’s a simple guide for the 4 weeks of Advent:

Week 1: the candle of JOY.  Read Philippians 4:4. Make a list of things that bring you joy, and thank God for Jesus, who brought Joy to the world. Pray for those for whom Christmas does not bring Joy because of grief or sorrow.

Week 2: the candle of PEACE.  Read Isaiah 9:6. Draw a picture of what ‘peace’ looks like, and thank God for Jesus, who brought PEACE to the world.  Pray for those who don’t experience peace because of war and poverty.

Week 3: the candle of LOVE.  Read 1 John 4:9-10. Make a card for someone who has shown you love, and for someone to whom you would like to show love. Thank God for Jesus, who showed us the ultimate picture of God’s LOVE for us, and pray for those who don’t know what love means because they are lonely or orphaned.

Week 4: the candle of HOPE. Read 1 Peter 1:8-9. Using the letters in ‘HOPE,’ make an acronym of things you are hoping for (i.e. “health,” “open presents,” “patience,” and “earrings), and thank God for Jesus, who is our HOPE and who gives us hope when things are tough.  Pray for those who lack hope because of despair and discouragement.

Christmas Morning: light the white candle—the CHRIST candle—and read the Christmas story (Luke 2:1-20).  Thank God for Jesus, who is the CHRIST, and pray for those who don’t know about Jesus’ birth.

Whether you live alone, with young kids, or with no kids, taking time during Advent to light a candle, read a verse and say a prayer is an excellent way to stay connected to your faith and to the story of Jesus.

(to the tune of “The 12 Days of Christmas”)

Based on Matthew 25:31-46

 Words by Sister Michelle Collins

Deaconess Assembly, 2011

 Intro: while we didn’t have many children at the Assembly, we included a ‘children’s sermon’ time in our worship.  As a community committed to representing and giving voice to those who are often overlooked and unrepresented, we wanted to intentionally name space for children in worship—not only the children we serve in our ministry contexts, but also the child in each of us, who sometimes needs to come up to the altar, sit at Jesus’ feet, and hear the Gospel presented in a very concrete way.  With that in mind, I came up with the following poem as a way to reinforce the concepts from the Gospel reading for the weekend.

The 1^st thing to know about how to serve the world:
See Christ in e-everyone

The 2^nd thing to know about how to serve the world:
Feed those who need it
And see Christ in everyone

The 3^rd thing to know about how to serve the world:
Share your drinks with others
Feed those who need it
And see Christ in everyone

The 4^th thing to know about how to serve the world:
Welcome in the stranger
Share your drinks with others
Feed those who need it
And see Christ in everyone

The 5^th thing to know about how to serve the world:
BE AN ACT OF MERCY
Welcome in the stranger
Share your drinks with others
Feed those who need it
And see Christ in everyone

The 6^th thing to know about how to serve the world:
Clothe your naked neighbor
BE AN ACT OF MERCY
Welcome in the stranger
Share your drinks with others
Feed those who need it
And see Christ in everyone

The 7^th thing to know about how to serve the world:
Take care of the sick
Clothe your naked neighbor
BE AN ACT OF MERCY
Welcome in the stranger
Share your drinks with others
Feed those who need it
And see Christ in everyone

The 8^th thing to know about how to serve the world:
Visit those in prison
Take care of the sick
Clothe your naked neighbor
BE AN ACT OF MERCY
Welcome in the stranger
Share your drinks with others
Feed those who need it
And see Christ in everyone

The 9^th thing to know about how to serve the world:
Jesus hides in faces
Visit those in prison
Take care of the sick
Clothe your naked neighbor
BE AN ACT OF MERCY
Welcome in the stranger
Share your drinks with others
Feed those who need it
And see Christ in everyone.

The 10^th thing to know about how to serve the world:
The least of these is all y’all
Jesus hides in faces
Visit those in prison
Take care of the sick
Clothe your naked neighbor
BE AN ACT OF MERCY
Welcome in the stranger
Share your drinks with others
Feed those who need it
And see Christ in everyone

The 11^th thing to know about how to serve the world:
Sheep and goats can teach us stuff
The least of these is all y’all
Jesus hides in faces
Visit those in prison
Take care of the sick
Clothe your naked neighbor
BE AN ACT OF MERCY
Welcome in the stranger
Share your drinks with others
Feed those who need it
And see Christ in everyone

The 12^th thing to know about how to serve the world:
The Kingdom is both now and then
Sheep and goats can teach us stuff
The least of this is all y’all
Jesus hides in faces
Visit those in prison
Take care of the sick
Clothe your naked neighbor
BE AN ACT OF MERCY
Welcome in the stranger
Share your drinks with others
Feed those who need it
AND SEE CHRIST IN E-EVERY-ONE!!

**I’m still looking for an illustrator that would like to take one of my poems and turn it into a children’s book…just sayin’ .

As you can tell, I did not want to change my understanding of church rituals – yet again.  I did not want children administering communion and I wanted to find documental support.  What I have found instead is that you are right.

I took the time to read The Sacrament of the Altar in the Concordia, Lutheran Confessions and first found that the Sacrament is not founded upon people’s holiness, but upon God’s Word.  Please understand that I do not believe children are unholy – they are only people just like me.  My concern was apparently based on what I thought was a traditional rite of the sacramental ceremony.  I see now that there is no such traditional rite with exclusive roles.

I now change my view and support you completely in what you are doing.  If, in the event that you run up against another old bull, you could share this excerpt from the Concordia which should make your heart sing:

“Let this, then, be said for encouragement, not only for those of us who are old and grown, but also for the young people, who ought to be brought up in Christian doctrine and understanding.  Then the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer might be taught to our youth more easily.  Then they would receive them with pleasure and seriousness, and so they would use them from their youth and get used to them.  For the old are now nearly past this opportunity.  So these goals and others cannot be reached unless we train the people who are to come after us and succeed us in our office and work.  We should do this in order that they also may bring up their children successfully, so that God’s Word and the Christian Church may be preserved.”

Is it okay to say that just because someone’s a child, they shouldn’t give Communion?  I’m not talking about consecrating the elements.  I’m only talking about standing with the chalice of grape juice and saying, “the blood of Christ, shed for you”.  Is there an age of person or something else that would disqualify someone from being ‘right’ to do that?

I’ve recently been thinking a lot more and more about the structures and regulations we set up in the church.  For the past few weeks my pastor has been gone, so I’ve been leading worship and preaching.  But because I’m not ordained, I can’t consecrate the elements of Communion.  Once they’re consecrated, I can distribute Communion–I just can’t consecrate it. I can teach the class that kids and parents take before kids take Communion for the first time–in fact, I’m sort of expected to teach that class.  I can point to Communion during children’s sermons and Sunday school lessons as the key place where Jesus meets us and shares forgiveness with us.  I can do everything it takes to bring someone to the altar, but I can’t stand in front of the assembly and say “on the night in which he was betrayed…”  There are theological and historical reasons for this, some of which I understand and many of which I don’t really know if I agree with.

But along with that I’ve also been thinking about where we ‘see’ children in worship, and what that says about what we believe about them.  There are children and youth in my congregation who are very ‘spiritually savvy,’ you could say, and some of them are eager and ready to take a public place in the worship life.  One teenager came to me and asked if she could ever give the sermon, and so I met with the pastor, and we agreed that it would be okay for her to give the sermon.  In that service, the pastor read the Gospel, but she preached.  Most people had fabulous things to say about her message.  It was well thought out, stuck close to the text, presented a clear gospel, issued challenges that were relevant and accessible, etc.  She asked me again if she could preach, and again we decided it was okay.  But this time I had her read the Gospel as well as deliver the sermon…and I gave her other bits of the service to do as well, so that in the future she could be an assisting minister.  Everybody thought that was great.

Tonight I found out that some people were really upset initially about the fact that she read the Gospel.  It was radical enough that she was preaching, but the idea she would also read “The Gospel of the Lord” pushed some people’s sense of what is ‘okay.’  But this person sharing this with me said that she eventually sorted it through in her head, and she came to really appreciate the leadership of this teenager.

But, she followed it up quickly by saying that she doesn’t want the whole service to be led by children and youth.  Nor, she made it very clear, would she ever take Communion from a kid who’s not been confirmed.  I asked her if she could explain to me what it was about a kid giving Communion (not consecrating, simply distributing) that was problematic.  If she had said something theological, I may have been less bothered.  But she said that it was because Communion is sacred to her, and she didn’t want to be distracted by how cute the kid is, or whether the kid says the words the right way or might spill the juice or whatever.

This explanation made me really upset.  I’m not sure what the theology behind Communion Assistants is, and what Luther would have said about who gets to help distribute Communion.  I would guess  that most congregations wouldn’t let someone be a communion assistant who’s not been confirmed.  But why?  Because WE don’t want to be distracted with worrying about whether the kid will spill the juice…just because she’s a kid?

I guess what bothered me about this explanation is that it made a blanket assumption that all 9-yr. olds are spiritually immature and cannot understand the magnitude of the sacrament of Communion, nor can they rightly distribute it.  I’m sorry, but I’ve been around enough 9 yr. olds to say that many of them probably understand it more than adults…or at least think about it.  I’m not saying 9 yr. olds should or should not be communion assistants as a rule.  I’m just saying that I want to be able to say that if a 9-yr. old feels strongly about being a communion assistant, we should have a community that welcomes that request and engages that kid in conversation.  I don’t want to be a community that says, “sorry, kid, but you’re too young.”  If we’re going to say that the kid can take communion, is there really a reason they can’t help distribute communion?

I guess what makes me upset is that on one hand we want kids to feel welcome in our worship space.  We give them activity bags full of coloring pages and stuffed animals.  We smile and take their picture when they dress up as angels and sing in the Christmas pageant.  We want them to know that this is a place where they belong.  But when it comes to one of our central images of Jesus crossing boundaries and extending welcome to ALL people, we draw a line simply based on age–and because we don’t want to be distracted?

I know there’s been a re-evaluation of what the reasons are for keeping kids from taking Communion, and many congregations are taking away the specific ‘Bible for 3rd graders, 1st Communion for 4th graders’ restrictions.  Kids who are able to ask for Communion are invited to have a conversation with their parents and with the pastor, and then are welcome to be part of the community.  I like this idea.  I do affirm that there needs to be instruction about Communion.  But at the same time, I think there’s some learning that happens in the ritual of being part of the community, and some kids will learn more from taking communion than from taking a class on communion.

So what does that mean about being Communion assistants?  Is there a good reason to make confirmation a restriction for communion assistants?  At my congregation there’s a family that likes to be communion assistants together, and often the mom, dad and teenage daughter will all serve together.  But on those Sundays, their younger daughter, who’s one of the most spiritually mature 10 yr. olds I’ve met, is intentionally excluded from that ritual, and often has to go sit with someone else during communion while her family serves together.  And this is because adults stand strong on what has always been done, and because they weren’t allowed to be communion assistants until after confirmation, there’s no reason to consider allowing other kids to be communion assistants until after confirmation.  Really?!?

I want to believe that the church can be a place where the 10 yr. old who understands (often more than adults) the mystery of the sacrament and who wants to be part of the team of people who distributes Communion, would be allowed to.  Or at least I want to believe that we’d consider it.  But to say that I’ll take Communion from anybody…anybody…as long as it’s not a kid…that really breaks my heart.  That seems to make a really strong theological statement.  I’m not sure I know what that statement is, and I’m not sure I’m right in saying that anybody who can take Communion should be allowed to be a Communion assistant (with training, of course).  I guess I’ve learned enough from kids, and have seen the reality of spirituality in young people, that I don’t really understand the thinking that says that just because someone is a kid means they shouldn’t do something in worship.  There may be other reasons…but “just not from a kid” doesn’t seem like a good reason.

Am I way out in left field on this?