May 10, 2024
Children’s Rites
This past Sunday we as congregation received Charlie Larson-Strobel into the Body of Christ universal through our church. We promised Eva and Brent that we would support them in raising Charlie in the faith, and welcome him as member of our church family. Later in that service we came to the Table—Christ’s Table—where we received communion as a sign of the grace of Christ which redeems our lives and establishes the bonds of the Spirit that holds our church family together. Both Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are considered sacraments in Covenant churches. But the Covenant as a denomination allows for diversity in both theology and practice of sacraments, particularly related to children. After worship this past Sunday, Pastor Lauren and I led the first of two conversations about children, initiation, and sacraments reflecting on these themes.
We began by introducing the rather demanding practices of initiating Christians into the church about the year 200, approximately 100 years after the New Testament era. At that time women, men, and children went through rather long, rigorous practices of preparation for the rites of initiation that were part of a ritual that went from sun down to sun up. The principal rites of their initiation were washing with water, anointing with oil, and communion. They were then understood as all one rite of initiation. This is still the case in the Eastern (or Orthodox) churches’ practice of initiation, for both infants and adults. In the west, they were separated and reshuffled. So today for children in Catholic and some Protestant churches, we have infant baptism, followed by first communion, followed by confirmation. Except for those Protestants who choose not to baptize infants.
Last week we discussed the unique position of the Covenant in allowing for a diversity of opinions about infant initiation. We consider all baptisms, at whatever age they may be administered, to be sacraments, or a means of grace. This means that the person being baptized receives more than they give. It is about God’s choice to love and save humanity, and God’s empowering the church to receive the baptized to nurture and support the baptized of any age in their faith. Some believe that baptism is an appropriate way to initiate a young child or infant into the faith, even if they are not fully aware of what is happening. Others would say that baptism as a grace still requires some understanding of what baptism is, and the baptized should speak for themselves. This view was voiced by Bishop Cyprian about the year 200, suggesting they should be at least 2 years old!
The Covenant church is unique in offering two official rites of initiation for infants: baptism and dedication. Last week we discussed the history of both practices and how in 1960 the Covenant church offered for the first time an infant rite as an alternative to baptism. This “two track” process of initiation offered to parents exists not just among our denomination’s churches, but also within each Covenant church. As ministers in the Covenant, we must—regardless of our preference—perform both rites if asked, and defend the right of whatever perspective might be the minority in a church to hold that opinion as “equally Covenant.”
This unique “agreeing to disagree” position on infant initiation that we hold as a Covenant church creates some very interesting choices for parents when it comes to both participation in the Lord’s Supper and Confirmation. Even if you are not currently a parent of child, as a member of the congregation the issues we addressed (and will address) are relevant to us all and our participation in them. We invite you to join us after church on Sunday, May 19th when we discuss Confirmation and the Lord’s Supper.
~ Pastor Todd
P.S. Susan and I offer you our deepest thanks for your prayers and signs of support of us in the wake of Susan’s brother’s unexpected and sudden death. Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts.