The Lord's Supper, or Holy
Communion, is the covenantal meal of the visible Church of
Jesus Christ, in which the people of God
are ever more incorporated into Christ's body,
participating together in the power of
endless life. (John
6: 47-57; Heidelberg Catechism
# 75)
As the whole people of God
under the Old Covenant partook of the covenantal feasts, so
the whole people of God under
the New Covenant should partake of the covenantal feast of
the Lord's Supper. (Exodus 12:
43-48; Matthew 26: 26-27)
As the whole people of God
under the Old Covenant partook of Christ, eating the same
spiritual food from heaven and drinking
the same spiritual drink from the Rock, so the
whole people of God under the New
Covenant partake of Christ, eating and drinking the
spiritual food of the Sacrament of His
Body and Blood. (I Corinthians 10: 1-4, 16,17)
Therefore,
the Lord's Supper should not be withheld from any New Covenant
member in good standing. Baptized children,
feeble-minded, and senile persons are to be joyfully
welcomed into the Eucharistic
celebration.