Last Wednesday, which was Ash Wednesday, we began a journey of forty days towards Easter. It is a journey of the mind and spirit, a journey of faith which takes us towards God. From the Bible, each week, we hear the stories of the people of God, stories of temptation and struggle, like those we heard today. There are stories of failure, like the failure of Adam and Eve to follow the path God had set before them, and stories of success, like the story of Jesus in the wilderness, where he chose rightly the path he was to follow "and angels came and waited on him."

We read these stories to how to be faithful. The devil could trick Adam and Eve, our human ancestors, so as human beings we are in danger of being tricked into sinfulness. But Jesus was not tricked by the devil, so it is through sharing Jesus' life that we come to faith, wholeness and eternal life.

The way in which we learn to be followers of Jesus is through the church. The church is described in many ways in the Bible; Jesus himself compared it to a grapevine. We are like branches which have been grafted on to the vine. By ourselves, we wither and die, because we have no roots to feed us and no trunk to support us. But while we are joined to Jesus we grow and bear fruit.

The church is also called the Body of Christ. This simply means that those who are part of the body of Jesus will share his life, his faith and his right relationship with God. It means that the life of Jesus Christ, which we call the Holy Spirit, fills every part of the body. It is like the blood which flows through our human bodies to bring life and health and movement to every part of us. And every member of the church has the same Holy Spirit filling them. We may not feel very spiritual and we may not understand how the Spirit is working in us, but we know the Spirit is there.

St Paul has a great deal to say about the Spirit and how the Spirit works in each person. He told the congregation in Corinth that even though each person was different and each person had different gifts, it was the same Spirit which inspired them all. He told the Galatians that there were no differences among those who belonged to Christ. Jews and Greeks, slaves and free, men and women, God's spirit works equally in each one. It is against the Bible and against the Spirit of God to discriminate against people in the church on the grounds of race, wealth, age, gender or sexuality. It is for this very reason that we at St Luke's, seek to share God's unconditional love unconditionally.

In particular I would like to talk about children today, and their place in our church and at the Eucharist. The church has long affirmed that a baptised person is received and welcomed with us into the body of Christ. So every child who is baptised is a full member of the body of Christ, and a full member of the church. This was affirmed by the World Council of Churches, of which the Anglican Church of Australia is a member, meeting in Lima, Peru, twenty three years ago.

It is therefore important to understand that children, even infants, are full members of the church; they are not the "church of the future" any more than seniors are "the church of the past." We are all simply part of Christ's church, and as Christ's church we are one in Christ. Our celebration of this is in the Holy Communion, where we, who are many, share in the one bread. Children, therefore, should not be excluded from Communion - they are heirs with us of the heavenly Kingdom and should share the communion with us.

It has been argued that children do not understand what the communion is about. They may not have the "head-knowledge" but they know very well what it means to be included or kept out. They learn their faith through watching and doing, especially in a tradition such as ours which values ceremony, ritual and symbolism. We do not wait to feed infants and children until they understand nutrition, so why wait to give them communion until they understand the Eucharist?

I quote from the proposed Children's Charter for the Anglican Church of Australia, "The Church is called to include children, in fulfilment of the Baptismal Covenant, as members and full participants in the worshipping community at the Lord's Table, and in the Church's common life of prayer, witness and service."

I would like to give communion to children in this congregation, but there must be some understanding of how this is to be done. I have heard the suggestions of some people in this congregation and I have heard what Fr Mike used to do. Children coming for communion rely on the repentance, faith and love of the whole congregation, and in particular their parents and godparents, who brought them to baptism. I expect, and the church expects parents and Godparents to teach their children what Holy Communion is and what it means. So, if the child's parents would like their child to receive Communion it is up to them to teach and supervise them. I would be very pleased to help if I can. The children will either receive part of the host broken from their parent's bread, or a whole wafer like everyone else. As the bread is given, the words, "The body of Christ" will be said, and I hope that the children will soon learn to say "Amen." The wine we will leave until they are older.

And as they grow older, too, I expect their parents to teach them more so that they will grow in faith and understanding. I hope the Sunday School will be an important part of their spiritual journey, and I expect them to come to Confirmation later on. Children have a lot to learn in their first few years, how to behave in a whole variety of circumstances, what the world means and how they live in it. Life is a big journey for little people.

Lent is a journey as well, a journey of faith for all Christians, and I hope and pray that this Lent will be especially meaningful for us all. I hope, too, that we will be aware of the needs of the children in our congregation, and support them with love as they travel their own journey.