Disclaimer:
This is not one of those "feel good" messages. My writing reflects my mood.
I was asked to write about "The Children's Sabbath" for my church. They wanted to know my feelings about the children in our church. I have a good sense of the children in the neighborhood and have several children of my own. The local church thought that this made me some sort of "knowledgeable adult".
They are not going to like what I have to say.
Where are the children?
I sat there and saw only the pastor's grandchildren. No other children were at church that day. We celebrated the 90th birthday of one of the congregants but no children. We typically celebrate birthdays for people over the age of 80. We rarely celebrate the birthday of anyone under 18. This leads me to ask "where are the children and why are they missing from church".
When we sign them up for football we take them to every practice. When we sign them up for scouts we take them once a week. Parents will wake up extra early to get their child where they need to go on time. Except to church. We sign them up for a life with Christ when we baptize them but then what? We don't bring them to practice life with Christ.
We all want to make sure our kid is the best at whatever sport or activity they want to join, but we seem to forget the important thing is saving their soul. I have heard parents say things like "practice your piano and someday you'll be famous". I never heard a parent say "read your Bible and someday you will be saved".
I guess I don't understand why it is so imperative that our children practice for this world but not for the life eternal that Jesus promised. Is it just to much work to wake the kids on Sunday? Do we, as parents, feel it is something they can do when they grow up? Maybe it's that most of us adults don't like to get up on Sunday so we just don't want to bother trying to get our kid to get up either.
Whatever the excuse we use doesn't justify the fact that there are very few small children practicing life with Christ and it is reflecting on the lives they lead as teens and young adults.
This is not one of those "feel good" messages. My writing reflects my mood.
I was asked to write about "The Children's Sabbath" for my church. They wanted to know my feelings about the children in our church. I have a good sense of the children in the neighborhood and have several children of my own. The local church thought that this made me some sort of "knowledgeable adult".
They are not going to like what I have to say.
Where are the children?
I sat there and saw only the pastor's grandchildren. No other children were at church that day. We celebrated the 90th birthday of one of the congregants but no children. We typically celebrate birthdays for people over the age of 80. We rarely celebrate the birthday of anyone under 18. This leads me to ask "where are the children and why are they missing from church".
When we sign them up for football we take them to every practice. When we sign them up for scouts we take them once a week. Parents will wake up extra early to get their child where they need to go on time. Except to church. We sign them up for a life with Christ when we baptize them but then what? We don't bring them to practice life with Christ.
We all want to make sure our kid is the best at whatever sport or activity they want to join, but we seem to forget the important thing is saving their soul. I have heard parents say things like "practice your piano and someday you'll be famous". I never heard a parent say "read your Bible and someday you will be saved".
I guess I don't understand why it is so imperative that our children practice for this world but not for the life eternal that Jesus promised. Is it just to much work to wake the kids on Sunday? Do we, as parents, feel it is something they can do when they grow up? Maybe it's that most of us adults don't like to get up on Sunday so we just don't want to bother trying to get our kid to get up either.
Whatever the excuse we use doesn't justify the fact that there are very few small children practicing life with Christ and it is reflecting on the lives they lead as teens and young adults.
Jesus said: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."
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