It was supper time; we were at the family meal when the phone rang–another one of these inconvenient interruptions that is so common in the parsonage. There was a young man on the phone wanting to talk to the pastor. He had a question, “Could be partake with the congregation at the Table of the Lord?” He had all the right credentials—a believer in Jesus Christ, saved by the blood of the Lamb, a confessing member of a distant CR Church. There was a bit more conversation and the young man went on to explain that he wanted to participate with this congregation because he understood that it rather carefully supervised the Table according to the Church Order and good Reformed tradition, heeding Paul’s warning in I Corinthians 11:27 and 28. What seemed incredible was that the caller was only 18 years old—a teen-ager knowing and appreciating good tradition!

He went on to explain how unhappy and disillusioned he had become in “Jerusalem.” He had worshipped in two of the “popular” CR churches, congregations where things “hang loose,” and where the young supposedly flock. He had come away disgusted especially by the wide open invitation for all to come to the Table of the Lord (open communion in the CRC).

I am still amazed, for I had been wondering whether there were any young people left in the church who could appreciate its practices, traditions and teachings. Thank God that there are still homes and churches within the CRC fold where the sanctity of the Table is upheld and where a true and solemn warning is issued to all those approaching it—where people are not indiscriminately welcomed to the Table of the Lord. Thank God for young minds that understand and appreciate faithful adherence to the Infallible Word. Thank God for young people that still appreciate good order, decency and the confirmed tradition of the Church.