It’s about thankfulness

Recently we changed churches. This change had implications for our whole family, but especially in regard to Theo. We were in a constitionally Reformed church which allowed Theo to partake of the Lord’s Table. However a move to a Presbyterian church, who is self-conscious about her procedure, would surely exclude Theo from the table of our Lord. (you know, like the Bible does all over the place.)

Sure enough, our investigation proved it to be so. In fact, one church already had a special needs child who was not a communing member (non-member member?). I spoke to other Reformed bodies which included children but other matters caused us to keep the search up.

Then, and ironically, we began to consider two Reformed Baptist churches. Both had excellent preaching, and both would leave the matter of Theo partaking of the table up to me! We decided on the nearest church, so that we could plug into our immediate community better. Again ironically, we are not able to join because our baptism is not valid (except mine – I was immersed twice), but Theo is able to partake!

Communion has been an important time of worship for Theo. Think about it: Theo doesn’t speak, he doesn’t understand many words probably, he understands his family more on an intuitive bases – do you think he would enjoy a forty-five minute sermon with the language on an adult level? However, if food begins to come around then, hey he gets it! Like God, Theo loves bread and enjoys wine. In fact, he gets excited about the Lord’s Supper like some Christians get excited about a live band (“ ‘Do this (live band) in remembrance of Me.’ ”).

In fact, for our family, communion has been a time of comic relief, not painful introspection and navel gazing. In our previous church, Theo would begin making his gestures of excitement, and then I would tear off a huge piece of bread and hand the whole thing to Theo. He would meticulously tear off one piece at a time and hand them down the line – sometimes microscopic pieces, sometimes forgetting a family member. We would begin laughing under our breath – in thankfulness. Then he would begin to smack – loudly. Man was he thankful. He loves gluten.
By the time the cup would come by, he was a thirsty little man. I would hold the tray in front of him and if the routine went just right, he would pick the cup in front of him. And he didn’t wait. He would start sipping right away and even run out before the rest of us would partake. So he would thrust his cup toward me for a refill (Hey, what would Jesus do?). By the time for us to drink the wine, I would have a very little bit, in a very little cup. But it was okay because Theo loved Communion and the wine was usually really bad (truth, beauty and goodness – some of the time).

Now we have a new routine for the Eucharist – but Theo is included. The Reformation reformed many things about life and faith, but this one area was overlooked. The Reformed Church says no to children of believers and mentally challenged folk when it comes to the Table of our Lord, but the Lord says forbid them not. The Lord welcomes Theo to His Table just like King David welcomed Mephibosheth to his table. How can we oppose great David’s greater Son?