Dear Church,
Alice Matthews posted the following on her Facebook page this week:
“Colin and Finn are serving communion to each other with their dinner bread and lemonade. Colin: ‘The body of Christ for you, Finn. The blood of Christ shed for you,’ as Finn dips. Colin is even holding the piece of bread up to tear it.”
We shouldn’t be surprised. Child development experts compare young children to sponges, ready to soak up whatever they are surrounded with. Finn and Colin have begun to soak up the liturgy of worship because their parents have taken their baptismal covenants seriously and bring them to worship most Sundays.
A two year old is overheard on the baby monitor singing herself to sleep, “Jesus loves me this I know.”
A four year responds to his mother after she dropped a large bowl of strawberries all over the floor, “Mom, in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.”
An eight year old tells me she is baptized every time it rains. A ten year old, when asked to compose a prayer with ten words, one for each finger, prays, “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.”
A teenager quotes I Corinthians 13 when she sees a friend being bullied because he is “different.” The voices of children are heard mingling with the voices of the aged praying the Lord’s Prayer. No one taught them, they learned by praying it every Sunday in worship. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” The words are more than words; they are a way of life.
Imaginations shaped by worship: amazing gifts and opportunity when there are so many other things out there shaping the imaginations of our youngest. When our children are formed in practices of blessing (lifting the bread), breaking, and giving (to a little brother), praying, and forgiving, we will see young faith acted out in surprising ways. They are sparks of holiness, to be received just as that; with an attitude of awe and thanksgiving. If we are watching, we just might have something to learn from our children.
With Christ’s Peace,
Pastor Grace