Do unconfirmed member children take Communion?
December 1, 2009
Anglican Answers
Q: Do unconfirmed member children take communion in the Anglican Church?
A: Thanks for asking this important question!
In orthodox Anglican practice, unconfirmed members of any kind need to be confirmed before receiving Holy Communion, although they are welcome at the rail for a blessing at the hands of the celebrant in any Holy Communion service.
That being said, since our confirmations only take place once a year, our supervising bishop has granted permission for the rector to admit baptized members to Communion. This may take place for anyone who has been baptized, but not confirmed, after a simple interview to make sure the baptized person understands the gravity of the Sacrament—with the understanding they are to be trained and confirmed as soon as possible. This is so important that we deliver this Exhortation, taken from our Book of Common Prayer, to all our members three times a year—after the Prayer for the Whole State of Christ’s Church, in the Holy Communion service:
DEARLY beloved in the Lord, ye who mind to come to the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ, must consider how Saint Paul exhorteth all persons diligently to try and examine themselves, before they presume to eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup. For as the benefit is great, if with a true penitent heart and lively faith we receive that holy Sacrament; so is the danger great [emphasis mine], if we receive the same unworthily. Judge therefore yourselves, brethren, that ye be not judged of the Lord; repent you truly for your sins past; have a lively and stedfast faith in Christ our Saviour; amend your lives, and be in perfect charity with all men; so shall ye be meet partakers of those holy mysteries. And above all things ye must give most humble and hearty thanks to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, for the redemption of the world by the death and passion of our Saviour Christ, both God and man; who did humble himself, even to the death upon the Cross, for us, miserable sinners, who lay in darkness and the shadow of death; that he might make us the children of God, and exalt us to everlasting life. And to the end that we should always remember the exceeding great love of our Master, and only Saviour, Jesus Christ, thus dying for us, and the innumerable benefits which by his precious blood-shedding he hath obtained for us; he hath instituted and ordained holy mysteries, as pledges of his love, and for a continual remembrance of his death, to our great and endless comfort. To him therefore, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, let us give, as we are most bounden, continual thanks; submitting ourselves wholly to his holy will and pleasure, and studying to serve him in true holiness and righteousness all the days of our life. Amen.
The Scripture teaches us about this:
1 Corinthians 11:27-28 (New King James Version)
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
The word “unworthy” in Greek is Anaxios, a word meaning “unfit”, denoting a lack of weight, or someone who has merited something bad–in this case, the guilt, Enochos—liability for the crime- of the Body and the Blood. Like so many things in children’s lives, they may not be fully able to judge this for themselves, so we pool our resources to teach them how to understand for themselves.
In the case of children, then, our job is to make sure they are taught and can fully grasp what the Holy Communion (and all our Christian practice) is about. For primary school age, we teach this every Sunday morning in “Salt and Light for Kids,” a 40 minute lesson series delivered in our children’s Sunday School. For middle school through adults, we teach a regular “Salt and Light” course offered about three times a year in the evenings or weekends.
So, the answer to the question is, then—it depends! Our duty as a parish (family), is, to protect and teach the children, raising them up—as Scripture teaches—in the “way they should go,” to establish Godly patterns for their adult life, while protecting them from making unhealthy choices—of all kinds!
Feel free to call us in the office at 344-1920, or e-mail me directly at fatherchip@allsaintsanglican.net , and we can discuss this more!
Blessings and joy,
Fr Chip
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