Worship Sundays at 9 am
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They kept streaming in; Micah and Grant, Hannah and Tristan, Elizabeth and Logan…there were 25 of them. Actually, I could name them all. I tried to call their names out as they would steam up to join me on the steps, before the altar, near the cross of Jesus. I love this time. I love these kids. They seem like an important part of the life of Jesus among the people who have gathered. Yes, some of them I baptized – but that wasn’t it. Yes, two of them were my own children – but that wasn’t it. Some of them I have had more contact with than others – but that wasn’t it. What was it? I think it was that you can see that they know this moment is for them – a place and a time they know is center stage, just for them. Their energy and enthusiasm says, “This is fun to gather this way, and we wonder what will happen? Our eyes and hearts and bodies or filled with the energy of it.”
At this moment in worship, my joy is full and it seems that their joy is taking shape. At this moment, what is foreign, strange and far off (words and texts and songs for big people) has now stopped and drawn near to them. The joy of it for me is that I get to be the vessel that holds open that space where Jesus comes to love our children. Often this is a high point in our worship together for me. Many of you tell me your children can be heard saying words that I say from worship or doing gestures that I use in worship. What fun. Come gather for worship and together we will celebrate with our children the joy of the presence of Jesus among us.