**Update: I had to postpone the class until next month, so feel free to keep adding your thoughts!**
Tomorrow, I'm teaching a class to children about communion.
What would you want children to know about communion? What would you share with them?
I don't ever remember *not* taking communion. My grandmother made the communion bread, and I loved receiving communion just to have a piece of that bread! My little brother, at about age 4, when having some of her bread at a non-communion time, remarked happily, "These are the bones of Jesus!" Young eucharistic theology.
Part of our United Methodist theology of communion is calling it a Mystery. Like many parts of our theology, whether it makes us comfortable or not, we've decided it is best to admit we don't know exactly, don't have exact answers. What happens in communion is a holy mystery. Maybe children are more comfortable with mystery than adults are sometimes!
Tomorrow, I'm teaching a class to children about communion.
What would you want children to know about communion? What would you share with them?
I don't ever remember *not* taking communion. My grandmother made the communion bread, and I loved receiving communion just to have a piece of that bread! My little brother, at about age 4, when having some of her bread at a non-communion time, remarked happily, "These are the bones of Jesus!" Young eucharistic theology.
Part of our United Methodist theology of communion is calling it a Mystery. Like many parts of our theology, whether it makes us comfortable or not, we've decided it is best to admit we don't know exactly, don't have exact answers. What happens in communion is a holy mystery. Maybe children are more comfortable with mystery than adults are sometimes!
Comments
A tradition at the church in which I'm currently serving is, when offering the bread and cup each to children (eye-balling it: younger to middle elementary and below), to say, "This is special bread. When you eat it, remember that Jesus loves you very much." and "This is special juice. When you drink it, remember that Jesus loves you very much." Not bad stuff in my estimation.
I've used the time to make a bread. I talk about how we are all different and have different job/ gifts/ graces and that God needs those for the Body of Christ to work right.
I hand out all the different ingredients -- honey, salt, 3 different kinds of flours, water etc.. I might say "Now Beth is a really sweet person -- do you think the body of Christ needs sweetness?" and so on and so forth. We all put our ingredients in the bowl, stir it around and bake it in a toaster oven.
I do more teaching specifically with the liturgy while the bread is baking. I read bits and pieces of 1 Cor 10, 11 and 12.
When the bread is done, we use it for communion.
3/4 c. white flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. graham flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. dry milk
4 tbsp. melted butter
1/4 c. honey
1 c. water
You have to really really mix this hard for several minutes. Shape it in a ball and flatten it on the baking sheet. Score a cross in the center. Cook at 350 for about 40 minutes. This actually makes a bunch of dough. You can bake it and serve it later for communion...
I spend a lot of time talking about all the ways that Jesus is present in communion.
Second, great question, Beth. I don't have any good answers to add. I had one really bad idea.
What not to do.
First, go to a butcher.
Second, get a carton of blood and a big hunk of raw meat.
Third ...
Well, you get the idea how this could go bad.
We'll also discuss who can take communion at our church (open communion), and what to do when they are visiting another church. (I use materials from the United Methodist Publishing House for my info.) The class will be "helping" the pastor with communion next week during worship.
-Pam G.