Children

Transcribed from the Sermon preached June 16, 2005

The Reverend Max Lynn

    A young girl was overhead praying the Lord’s Prayer:  “Give us this day our jelly bread.” 
Kids are fun, and a lot of work.  
    A group of young children were overheard having this conversation at a private school back East. 
#1 My daddy is a doctor, he makes lots of money and we have a swimming pool. 
#2 My dad is a lawyer and he flies to Washington to meet with the President. 
#3  My dad owns his own company and we have our own airplane.
 Just then another child looked up and with surprise said, “My daddy is here,” to the envy of all in the room.  

    It is a big responsibility to care for, nurture and teach children…to earn enough to provide them with what they will need to succeed.  It is hard to protect them from all the dangers and hardships of life, and allow them to learn lessons when they ought to, not too soon or too late.  It is tough to know when to hold on, to provide support, and when to let go and let them learn to survive and do for themselves.  Loving children is our most difficult responsibility, and our most joyous.  Raising children and parenting will quickly teach us that we all fall short of the glory of God.  And of course, loving children is not just the responsibility of one or two people, but the responsibility of all of us, whether we or our partner have given birth or not.  We all need each other in this job.  We all need God’s grace.  What would we do without God’s grace?  Thankfully, God is gracious.  
    Children bring us God’s grace, and as their minds piece together the world around them, they share with us so much more.  On this children’s Sabbbath, more than focusing on what the needs and troubles of the world’s children, on what we need or ought to do, I want to share with you words of children.

    Perhaps we can remember that God wants us to go out and leap like calves released from the stall.
    I begin with choices from a book entitled Children’s Letters to God.
    Dear God, is it true my father won’t get in heaven if he uses bowling words in the house?  Anita
    Dear God, did you mean for Giraffe to look like that or was it an accident?  Nora
    Dear God, I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church.  Is that ok?  Neil
    Dear God, Is reverend Coe a friend of yours, or do you just know him through business?  Donny
    Dear God, my grandpa says you were around when he was a little boy.  How far back do you go?  Love Dennis.
    Dear God, thank you for the baby brother but what I prayed for was a puppy.  Joyce
    Dear God, It rained for our whole vacation and is my father mad!  He said some things about you that people are not supposed to say, but I hope you will not hurt him anyway.    Your friend, but I’m not going to tell you who I am.
    Dear God, maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they had their own rooms.  It works with my brother.  Larry
    Dear God, I think of you sometimes even when I’m not praying.  Elliot
    Dear God, my brother told me about being born but it doesn’t sound right.  Marsha
    Dear God, I don’t ever feel alone since I found out about you.  Nora
    Dear God, here’s a poem:  I love you.  Because you give us what we need to live.  But I wish you would tell me why you made it so we have to die.  Daniel age 8
    Dear god, I didn’t think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday.  That was cool.  Eugene
    Dear God, I am doing the best I can.  Frank

Let the children come, Jesus says, “do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.
    Children display a sincerity, a willingness and desire to try without worry of judgement and form.  What matters the most is not how we worship, or how brilliant and serious we look or sound.  What matters is our sincerity, our gratitude and honesty.
    Perhaps with the help of children we can let go of those painful memories when we were judged for how we sang, or prayed, or for the clothes we wore, or for not being appropriately serious or pious looking, or for liking the wrong music, or not knowing the right bible passage or theology?  Perhaps we have even been judged for asking the wrong questions?  Maybe our image of God is not orthodox?  Or the judgements of others has led us to believe God is a boring, persnicity patriarch who wont let you sit on the furniture in his living room.    
    It may be hard, but forget all that for a moment.  Think back to when you were a small child.  Think of someone who you could trust, someone who loved you and you knew it…Someone to whom you wanted to run, and jump in their lap.  An uncle who took you fishing, a sister who made you animal pancakes, a mom whose open arms and soft cheek made your hurt go away.  A dad who would pick you up, brush you off, pat you on the back and say, don’t give up, get back in there you’ll get it the next time…and you did.
    Think of that trust, that faith.  Don’t put a stop to that Jesus says, let it come, let them come to me.  Let yourself go to God.  He is waiting with open arm and a loving embrace.  Like a mother will not forsake her nursing child, so I will not forsake you.