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COMMUNION ENCOUNTER
PARENT AND ADULT NOTES AND SUGGESTIONS
Shared by Pr. John Swensen
Olivet Lutheran Church, Fargo, ND
WELCOME!
Welcome to what hundreds of adults and children have found to be
a meaningful experience as they share the faith and talk about what
the meaning of the Sacraments
is! Relax! Be yourselves! Use these booklets as YOU want to in order to make
your discussions with children who are special to God and to you a growing
time for you and for them. Have fun! Don't worry about making mistakes -- God
has used imperfect people since the creation to get the message of salvation
across. There is a Holy Spirit, count on this presence! Don't be afraid to
admit, "I don't know. ", and then go on to say, "Let's see if
we can find out.". Do it.
THIS BOOKLET
This booklet is designed to get "harder" as you get into
it. Younger children will need to have you "tell about what is
written" in a
way that they will understand, and to help them read things for themselves.
It is not intended to be a "workbook" in which the most important
thing is to fill in all the blanks. It is meant to be a tool which you use
as you decide, and which you adapt to each child's particular needs.
TIME
FRAME
Take your time going through this experience! It is not something
to "cram" into
a couple of days to get it done. Let the child set the pace, but at the
same time, help them to "stay on track" and not simply forget
about it. If you are working with more than one child, they may work
at a different
pace
from one another. That's OK
PRIVACY/RESPECT
You are encouraged to share your ideas and experiences
with the children you are working with, and they with you. If either
of you have things you
do not
want to share, respect each other's privacy. Be careful about sharing with
others statements you have found "cute" or "funny' without
the permission of the person(s) you are working with. If the child or younger
person
does not want to share their work (or some part of it) with you, let them
know you are interested in sharing as much of it as they would like to,
when and
if they are ready.
BLANK AND EXTRA PAGES
The backs of each page are intentionally blank.
This gives the children the chance to draw on them, add pictures,
or other remembrances, draw their
own
illustration, or just have fun. You might also want to add extra blank
pages on which you could have people who attend the First Communion sign
their
names, add comments, etc.
MATERIALS YOU MAY NEED
1. A Bible
2. Pen or pencil
3. Communion Encounter booklets for each child and for you
4. Notebooks for adults and children in which to put their booklets
and other items collected.
5. Plastic sleeves in which you can put correspondence, pictures,
mementos, etc.
6. Stickers, pictures from magazines, etc. of things, people, and activities
your child likes to paste or stick on various pages and the cover of the
notebook
7. Colored pens, pencils, or markers
SOME OTHER POSSIBILITIES
- Take videos of your preparation for and
celebration of First Communion, including time spent working in
preparation and your interviews.
- Take "field trips" to
where the child was baptized. . . To meet the pastor or person who
baptized him/her . . . To meet
and visit with sponsors
. . . etc.
- Scan the completed Communion Encounter booklet and put it on
your computer. Older children may want to do the booklet on computer.
THE FOLLOWING NOTES CORRESPOND TO THE PAGES
IN THE "COMMUNION ENCOUNTER" BOOKLET
PAGE ONE
You can review the Service of Holy Baptism by looking at page 121
in the front part of the Lutheran Book of Worship. You will note
that the
pastor
talks about
the expectations of parents and sponsor under #6, and asks, "Do you promise
to fulfill these obligations?" You may want to talk about the ways
you have tried to fulfill these responsibilities. Most of us have found
them
to be more than obligations -- They are part of the joy of having a child,
and
it is good to let your child know this. If you have some colored pencils
or markers, you may want to encourage the child to color the pictures.
PAGE TWO
The word, "holy", is used a lot in the Bible and
in the life of the Church. The Bible talks about the ground Moses
is walking on as "holy"...The
Children of Israel are encouraged to see themselves as a "holy people"...
The Sabbath Day is to be kept "holy. . . .The Name of the Lord is
to be held as holy, etc. Substitute the word, "special" for "holy" and
see how it makes these phrases meaningful. The word, "holy" really
means that something or someone is "set apart for a special purpose".
It does not necessarily mean to be sinless, perfect, or religious. We
talk about the "Holy" Catholic Church, and we realize that
it is made up of sinners who are "holy" because we are forgiven
and are special to God. In Baptism, and in the Lord's Supper, God is
saying, "You are
holy. . . special . . . to Me!" Remind the child that s/he is holy/special
to God and to you, even though they don't get everything right. You know
God loves you like this and you love the child in this way. We all hope
our children
love us in the same way!
There is a lot of "print" on this page. You may want to give
the child some stickers of things s/he likes and sees as special to paste
on
the blank spaces on the sides, top, and bottom of the page. Do similar
things with
any pages you would like to.
PAGE THREE
Add more "balloon faces" to the blank page across
from this page to include more people. Use colored yarn and paste
it to each "balloon" where
the lines are drawn.
PAGE FOUR
Talk about the many feelings of celebrations. For example, of how at
a birthday you may be excited about you is there and the presents you
are
getting. At
the same time, you may be lonesome for someone who couldn't be there
with you. You may be thankful for something nice that was said or given
to you.
You may
spend some time
remembering past birthdays. On the facing blank page encourage your child
to draw all kinds of faces that one might see at a celebration - And
of the different
looks that might be on their own faces as they think of different things.
Invite them to tell you about their feelings and/or the feelings they
have drawn.
"COMMUNION" means "togetherness". Add, "HOLY" to
it, and it comes out, "SPECIAL TOGETHERNESS" When we are at Holy Communion
we celebrate our "special togetherness" with God and with
each other. We are even together in Christ with people who are not
able to be with us physically!
There is a oneness that brings Christians together who are separated
by miles and even years -- What a "party"!
The heart with the cross in it reminds us of something important! Turn
with your child to John 3:16 (the third book of the New Testament,
the third chapter,
the sixteenth verse) and talk about how much God loves us. Invite the
child to color the heart red to remind us that Jesus gave His blood
-- His life
-- for us. The circle with sin crossed out reminds us that God "cross out" or
forgives us our sin because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Jesus
paid for the guilt we have because of our sin, so we don't have to. This
is especially
important because there is no way we can pay for the hurt our sin causes.
PAGE FIVE.
There is a lot of print on this page, and a lot of deep thinking is
called for. You may want to do it a little at a time. You may want
to add stickers
or pictures of people praying, getting into trouble, or being comforted.
Your child may want to do his/her lists of sins that need to be forgiven
on a separate page -- This enables them to not include them when they
show others
their notebook if they choose to keep them private. They may not want
to show you this page or they may feel good about sharing it with you.
Respect
their
choice.
This is an opportunity to discuss how the "sins" we show on the outside
come from the "sin" that is on the inside. For example: If the sin
we show on the outside is to hit a brothers or sister, what might the sin on
the inside be? Some possible responses from the child might be, "I am
jealous of him/her' "I am angry enough to want to hurt them." "I
want to make them do what I want" Etc.
Other examples of how the "sin on the inside shows itself on the outside" are
these: The worm hole on an apple is not there because the worm is going in,
but because the worm is coming out! (or so I've been told!). The rash from
Chicken Pox is not what is wrong with the person, but is caused by the sickness.
The sin on the inside is what causes us to sin on the outside. God's forgiveness
of us is from the "inside out"!
In the Old Testament one of they way sin is described is to "miss the
mark". To be less than God intends us to be. However you look at it, sin
destroys life and relationships. You may want to discuss this with your child
by saying something like, "How does it spoil things when we . .
.”
The Lord's Supper has a lot to do with "remembering". Jesus invited
us to "eat the bread" and "drink the wine" to "remember" Him. "Remember" has
a very special meaning in the Bible. It means to "make
real in the present that which happened in the past." When we receive the bread and the wine
of the sacrament, God makes Jesus and his death on the cross "real" to
us in the present! When God speaks of "not remembering" our sin anymore,
it means God is not going to keep the guilt of our sin "real" in
our now. It does not mean that God has "lost His memory", but that
God does not "rub our noses" in the messes we made yesterday.
Jesus paid for our sin on the cross, therefore we are free to enjoy today
as people
who are forgiven!
The exercise to be done on the facing page or on a separate
sheet calls for the child to think about three things:
- Sins s/he is glad God is forgiving, letting us leave behind in
yesterday.
- Sins s/he really hope others will let go of (this may include
those noted in #1)
- Times when s/he feels "sinned against".
These are the things they may be having trouble letting go of that
others have
done to them.
When we
hold grudges we are holding on to sin that God wants us to let go
of because they spoil the lives of others and our todays as well.
You may want to do your own sheet and to share it with your child
-- Or not share it, as you may choose. You are investing in trust
that
will be
invaluable
as the years go by!
PAGE SIX
The picture on the top right is an example of how to match the name
with the picture. The sample pictures "Holy Communion", or a time of togetherness.
The picture on the left shows people giving thanks for Jesus' gift of Himself.
This is called, "Eucharist", and reflects one of the many
moods of the Lord's Supper. The final picture is meant to be something
like
the familiar
picture of Jesus and the disciples at the Lord's or Last
Supper.At
the bottom of the page are pictures reminding us of the two Sacraments
of
Holy Baptism
and Holy Communion. All of these would be good pictures to color.
PAGE SEVEN
The word, GRACE, is one of the most important ones to know the meaning
of! One definition is given in the student's book. An old acrostic
that helps
some remember what grace is goes like this:
God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense
Pictured at the top of the page is soda being poured from
a bottle. To add to the fun, you may actually want to pour your child
a glass of
his/her favorite soda or juice. As you do so, point out how the bottle
and the glass
are like a sacrament -- They are the means by which you receive the
drink -- Something like Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ways in
which
God
pours out
His love to us, or "Means of Grace". It is not a like getting a dose
of medicine that you must take, but it is like being offered a treat that we
get to receive. It can add to the "Communion" to invite
others to share in a glass of soda or juice with you, and have all
talk about
the Means
of Grace!
PAGE EIGHT
You may want to give your child stickers or have him/her look in
magazines for pictures to cut out and paste one this page that remind
them of
the physical things in Baptism or the Lord's Supper. The kinds of
things to look for would
be things showing people playing in, drinking, washing in water.
Other things could be wheat growing, bread being made or advertised,
wine
being
served.
Note: You will have to decide about the wine, but in cultures where
wine is used as a sacred substance there seems to be less abuse of
it than
where it
is just seen as a drink.
PAGE NINE
When answering question #3, "Who was there when I was
baptized?", include not only the pastors and other people
who were standing by the baptismal group, but special people who came
to worship with
you and
to celebrate.
This is a good time to bring out some pictures, and perhaps to add
them to the blank
page facing this sheet. It is also a time to bring out other mementos
such as the baptismal certificate, candle, towel, shell, etc.
Some
children were
baptized in the hospital in what is sometimes called an "emergency
baptism".
This is often done when it is possible that the child will not five
long enough to be baptized at a regular worship service. If this
is the case
with your
child, it is good to explain that you were not afraid that God might
not love your little baby unless s/he were baptized. Just the opposite!
The baptism
was another way of showing God's love for one of God's little ones
who happened to be struggling for life. It also was a way for mom
and dad to pass
on
all the
love they could
to their very "holy/special" child! We often have a special
time at worship when we publicly affirm the "emergency' baptism.
It also becomes a time of thanksgiving and celebration of life! If
your child received an "emergency
baptism" but did not have a service to affirm it, you may want
to have a time now when you gather with family and friends to celebrate
the baptism
and to say "thanks" for the gift of Baptism. Follow it
with a party, if you would like to. Celebration is a big part of
the life
of a Christian.
PAGE
TEN
There are several letters to sponsors in the back part of the "Communion
Encounter' booklet. There are several ways to do the letter to sponsors:
- The easiest way is to simply fill in the blanks on the form letters
provided and mail them. The sender could "warm up" the
letter by adding a short personal note and/or a picture. This is
a good time
to tell the
date of First Communion and invite the sponsor to be with you for
it.
- The child
could copy the letter in his/her own writing -- Or E-mail it! Add
what you wish.
- You could make this an interview - But be sure to
use the questions in the letter and have the sponsor, the child,
or someone else
write down the
answers
so they can be looked at in the years to come. You may also want
to make a video of the interview to add to a video diary of First
Communion.
Whatever
you do, be sure to get something that can be referred to in later
years! Many
of us wish that we had such a record to look back on after our
godparents are no longer around for one reason or another!
PAGE ELEVEN
If the child's grandparents are available, ask them this question
as well. Ask all the people you want to - You might be pleasantly
surprised
at the
answers. If you or others would like to, write the answers down
on paper for your child,
or include them on the videotape.
PAGE TWELVE
In this part of the Communion Encounter we are emphasizing the "real presence" of
Christ that comes to us in two ways during the Lord's Supper:
- Christ Jesus comes in the bread and the wine in a way that is
unexplainable. As Luther once noted, God comes to us everywhere
and in everything,
but in the sacraments God comes to us in a special way. What
God's presence
does
is different in each way that our Lord is part of our lives.
The bread and the
wine remain bread and wine, but in the communing they become, "holy" or "special."
- Christ
also comes to us in other Christians. In the Bible we are told
that God in Christ live in each and every one of
us --
God is
one with
us. Jesus
said in Matthew 28:20, "1 am with you always. . ." If
we want to welcome Jesus in the bread and the wine, we also want
to welcome the presence of Jesus
in other Christians! Sometimes people don't want our forgiveness
or won't forgive us. That is their choice, all we can do is what
St. Paul says," ...so
far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." (Romans
12:18)
PAGE THIRTEEN
This is a page to have fun with! Your child may want to invite
people to draw their own faces and add their own names. Another
idea is
to cut out
old photos
of people and glue them in place here.
PAGE FOURTEEN
Invite your child to draw a picture on the page facing this of
Jesus welcoming us all to the Communion Table. You might also
help him/her
to find a picture
in a Bible coloring book of Jesus at the Last Supper and add
it here after coloring it.
Much is made in this section of our being "invited" to the Table
of the Lord. We emphasize that the Sacraments are not
rules to be obeyed or
conditions to be fulfilled, but they are "GIFTS" FROM GOD TO US!
They are God saying, "I love you!' "I forgive you!" "I
have things for you to do and be!" We don't ever want to turn them into
something legalistic. Questions like, "Do you HAVE to be baptized?', and, "How
often MUST you receive the Lord's Supper?" reflect the rules idea. The
real question is, "How much do we NEED and WANT God's love and forgiveness
... Jesus special presence in the bread and the wine?" We GET to be baptized
and we are "WELCOMED" to the Lord's Table!
The prayer at the bottom of page 15 is one that beginning
readers may need help with. Have them read what they can, and help
them
to learn
the words
they don't understand. Ask what each sentence means to them.
You may want to put
it on a bigger sheet, and place it where you can all see it at
the same time, while you hold hands and pray. Another option
is to "make up" your
own prayer with your child or add to it what you may want to
-- it is your time of prayer together so do as you will!I hope
you
have
found
this experience
to be meaningful! Please pass on to me any comments or suggestions
you may have, and experiences you are willing to share.
Pastor John E. Swensen
C/O Olivet Lutheran Church
1330 South University Drive
Fargo, North Dakota 58103
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