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CHAPTER 18
Children at the
Eucharist
Children are not the church of the future. Children are the
future of the church! The sparseness of children and young
people in many Anglican churches is a common cause for
concern. On the one hand, some communities look to other
traditions which appear to be having more success in
drawing and keeping youth. On the other, the Anglican
tradition has both a wealthy symbolic vocabulary and a most
inclusive eucharistic policy which can arguably make it a
fertile environment for allage eucharistic worship.
Baptised children have as much right and duty to be present
at the Eucharist as every other baptised person. They are
not merely training to be the church of tomorrow.
Special Eucharists and exciting activities may attract
young people for a time, and these may even bring their
parents with them. As a rule, however, regular attendance
by children at the weekly Eucharist is the result of the
committed caregiver(s) coming to church with their
child(ren).
In New Zealand, as in a growing number of other Anglican
churches overseas, it is recognised that all the baptised
have a right to receive communion whatever their age. "We
who are many are one body, for we all young and old share the one
bread."
Babies, not yet on solids, can receive the wine. Infants
can receive the intincted bread. Care needs to be taken,
now that baptism is seen to be admission to communion, that
there doesn't develop an "admission to wine" for children
who "are now old enough."
Lollies or biscuits ought never to be administered instead
of communion. Nor is it appropriate to invent special words
of administration for children. Children are quite capable
of appreciating and growing into the words of
administration authorised in A New Zealand Prayer
Book.
Children have a natural sense of mystery and of wonder.
This is lost with age, not gained. Children are naturally
caught up in the atmosphere of a worship service. If
children are bored and restless it often indicates that the
adults are probably not far off boredom and restlessness
themselves.
One model is to have children and adults separate for the
Ministry of Word and Prayer. Children leave at an
appropriate point at the beginning of the service and might
return again just before the Peace. Such a pattern needs to
recognise that both groups are continuing worship at their
own "level." It is not that the children are receiving
instruction while the adults continue at worship. The
children's celebration of the Word needs to include songs
and prayers just as the adults' does. There is a growing
amount of resources available to use for such multilevel
celebrations focusing on the Three Year Series. In order to
recognise the equality of children and adults, occasionally
the children need to be able to stay in church and the
adults leave for their liturgy of the Word in the hall!
Another model, in which the Eucharist is seen as the
service for God's whole family, has children present
alongside the adults from beginning to end. At such a
service care needs to be taken that the service is not too
long, that the children's presence is taken seriously, and
that the adults find nourishment as well.
Sometimes people speak as if a Eucharist cannot be a
"family service." Almost as if Jesus' greatest mistake was
instituting the Eucharist! These seem not to have explored
the flexibility and creative possibilities of contemporary
eucharistic worship.
If children are distressed in a service they can be taken
out. It needs to be clear, however, that as soon as they
quieten they are brought back in again.
Children and young people can exercise all manner of
functions and ministries within the liturgy as much as
adults. If week by week the community uses a clear range of
simple cues and responses, regular worshippers, including
children, will be able to share in these parts of the
service from memory. Young children will not be able to
participate while the congregation reads long, complex
texts together.
Children or young people can exercise all the roles
traditionally assigned to the deacon. These roles include
introducing the confession, proclaiming the Gospel,
providing leadership for the Prayers of the People,
inviting the congregation to exchange the Peace, preparing
the holy table and setting the bread and wine upon it,
sharing in distributing the bread and wine, and dismissing
the congregation.
Children need to be included at the door among the
welcomers. Books need to be handed to children (even those
who do not yet read). Children can take up and bring
forward the collection. They can bring forward the bread
and wine at the Preparation of the Gifts.
As well as these there can be drama, action songs, stories,
dramatic reading, dance, puppets, drawing and colouring in,
and so on. Children can also be involved in the following:
Processions:
The whole assembly can join in the entrance procession, or
just those who wish to, or all the children. Some bring in
the processional cross, banners, the candles, the Bible,
incense, thurible...
Penitential material: Young people can act out a brief
drama which might highlight some area where forgiveness
might be needed. A young person could read "The summary of
the law" or "A new commandment" or a sentence (from page
407).
In a community which consistently uses "Lord,
have mercy" as
the response to "Lord, have mercy" (and similarly "Christ,
have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.") children could lead the form
from page 459 (without the congregation needing to turn to
it). Three different children can be involved, each reading
a sentence. Page 459 may form the model for constructing
similar simple sentences such as the following:
God calls us to be holy
so in silence let us ask for forgiveness.
(This could be
said by the presider, with another/others reading the
following sentences).
Silence
Either
God our Creator,
you have made all things good,
but we do not love you with all our heart,
and with all our soul,
and with all our mind,
and with all our strength.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord,
have mercy.
Jesus our friend,
you forgive our sins,
but we do not forgive and befriend each other.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ,
have mercy.
Holy Spirit,
you love us and dwell in us,
but we often find it difficult
to love ourselves.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord,
have mercy.
Or
Jesus, Word of God and Saviour of all:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord,
have mercy.
Jesus, Good Shepherd and Lamb of God:
Christ, have mercy.
Christ,
have mercy.
Jesus, true vine and bread of life:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord,
have mercy.
The
presider concludes this form with a brief absolution such
as:
May the compassionate God have mercy on us,
forgive us, and bring us to fullness of life.
Amen.
Readings:
Some young people are excellent readers. The readings can
also be dramatised in some form. If a token child, however,
who is not a good reader, is used to read from the
scriptures no one may benefit. In such a case it would be
better (for the children also) if the scriptures are
confidently read by an adult who is able to tell the story
well.
For the proclamation of the Gospel two children can bring a
lit candle each, and stand either side of the person
proclaiming the Gospel.
Children's
bags: At the
beginning of the sermon children may be given special bags.
Each bag can contain some crayons; a board (slightly larger
than A4); a picture to colour (size A4) which relates to
the season, sermon, or a reading; one or two extra blank
sheets can be used by the children for doing their own
drawings. (It is amazing what the children will come up
with!) It is preferable that the children stay in their own
place (alongside an "adult helper"). As children grow out
of drawing and colouring in, they are growing into
listening to the sermon.
The children's pictures can be looked at after the Prayers
of the People, for example. Comments on the pictures can be
a moment of education for the adults as well as the
children!
For smaller children "busy bags" can be provided which
contain quiet toys, board books, and other things which can
be brought out as necessary during the service.
Some
Questions
How are children and young people made welcome in your
community?
In the light of this chapter review children's involvement
in the Eucharist.
