The First Communion


Our neighbours across the road are from India, Newton and his wife Cynthia. Newton has a son from a previous marriage named Sigmund who is about 18 years of age. Cynthia has two children from Newton, Savannah, about 8, and Stefan about 2.
About 18 months ago, Newton came over and introduced himself, going out of his way to tell me that he was a christian, I thought at the time that this was done for my peace of mind, but it turns out they are what is known as practising Catholics.
Cynthia is "friendship itself", befriending her self to any willing neighbours.
About 3 weeks ago Cynthia told us that Savannah was to celebrate her "First Communion" and she invited us to come. On the day I made my third appearance inside a Roman Catolic Church, the previous visits were, one, to a wedding, and the second, a funeral. Well, what a pleasant surprise, among all the crossing and bowing, the gospel came forth in a lovely way. The jovial priest welcomed any visitors, especially a man from Ireland, with the words, "The damned Irish are everywhere".
I think he was using the word in the colloquial sense, and not in one of those "Krino" senses.
We arrived back at Salerno Way, and went across the road to Newton and Cynthia's place to find that the festivities were only just beginning. There were quite a few people there who looked as if they also came from India. A tall Indian man seemed to be the self appointed MC. It appears that his main job was to see that everyone had a glass with something in it. He was quite concerned to see me pouring an innoccous Coke. I had to smile when he went over to Marqui and surveyed all the food set out.
His approval was such that he said in a loud voice, "Hallelujah", followed almost immediately with the words, "The bloody rain is coming in here"! There was a lot of laughter and joy in their celebration and some singing, this is a song everybody joined together in singing,

Congratulations and celebrations We want the world to know we’re happy as can be
Congratulations and jubilations
We want the world to know
She has Jesus in her heart
Would you believe he makes us happy and contented There was a time happiness hadn‘t been invented But that was in the bad old days before she met him
Oh when she let him
Walk into her heart
Congratulations and celebrations
We want the world to know we’re happy as can be Congratulations and jubilations
We want the world to know
She has Jesus in her heart.
It took me about 24 hours to get over too much "Indian" food, but the memory of the whole experience of that "first Communion" has stayed with me.
The words Greville Hinton spoke to me years ago came back to me, "You know Don, we Baptists have no theology of the child".

Today we attended a service in a Baptist church where where one of my niece"s sons was baptised, you know, dipped right under the water. His name is James and he is 21 years of age. He has given his life to Christ and gave a good account of his faith.
It was good to be there.

We went from there to the second half of the service at the Berwick Vineyard and the preacher gave a great message
While it is wonderful to see the church alive and well in other settings, I still call the livlier end of the protestant church home.