As I stood in line to receive communion, I saw the little one three steps ahead of me. The pastor had offered the cup as "the blood of the Lord, poured out for you" for every person who came forward. When the young saint approached him, he changed his script. It was something like, "Remember that Jesus always loves you."
I've done that before. The blood of the Lord line can sound scary or off-putting to youngsters. Don't think so? Our family has a funny story about a child nervously confessing she did not want to eat the body or drink the blood of Jesus. So, perhaps, the Jesus-loves-you reminder is a bit more agreeable to a young mind.
That doesn't mean we should shy away from using traditional language with our children. They need to hear our common expressions and listen to the same things we as adults hear. One day, their amen will be personal. It will be full of conviction and praise. For now, our role is to model faith and teach what we've learned about Jesus and his love. Sometimes, that means using the church's big language. Don't worry. The Holy Spirit can work through it for them. Plus, our children can pick up more than we often give them credit for.
At the same time, let me confess to you. I wanted the preacher to look me in the eyes and say, "Remember that Jesus always loves you." I know a lot of the big language. I cherish and study it, even. But no lofty idea and theological meandering will ever compare to knowing the love of God. We hear often how we forget about the joy of childhood. We forget how to play, how to enjoy life and even how to trust unconditionally. Maybe we need more of the basic language, too.
At the root of every faithful doctrine or ritual is God's love. Too often, though, in trying to keep in perfect step with tradition, heritage or theological insight, we can distance ourselves from that great truth.
Learn the big language of the church. It's helpful. But never lose sight of what it all means. As important as faith is, it is not the most important. And where would we be without hope? Still, the greatest of all these will always be love. And remember that Jesus always loves you.
Stay blessed...john | 
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