What the role of children is in the church

At our church every fourth Sunday is dedicated to Sunday school. Our children whom we usually hand over to Sunday School teacher, so that we can have some quality time with the divine, come into the main service to showcase what they have been learning.

Unlike the African Children’s Choir who have perfect choreography and bring tears to your with their angelic voices, ours are the proverbial sheep; they always seem to have been caught off guard so there is a lot of bumping into each other, false starts and the songs are sang off key.

As if that was not spectacle enough, you can overhear one telling the other that they are singing badly which results in tears, right there on the stage. This comedy of errors is not just a one off; it is the norm and sometimes it gets worse; for instance during the last Sunday, someone was so overcome by nerves that they dropped a microphone, which got damaged beyond repair.

We sit back with divine parental patience waiting to see what more can go wrong.  But, since God’s ways are not our ways we contend ourselves to the possibility that He finds the little children’s efforts more satisfying than world class pageantry. 

After all throughout the Bible children play an important role in God’s plan for the salvation of man. According to the gospel of Matthew children were the first innocent victims of God’s plan to save world through his son Jesus Christ when King Herod ordered the massacre of innocents every baby boy.  That is why the Christian calendar sets aside a special day on December 28 to recognise the glory of the children that saved the Christ child.

The fulfilment of God’s promise is further acknowledged by Simeon and Anna the faithful Jews who had waited all their lives for the Messiah at the temple.

In Luke 2:22-38, we read that, “When Jesus was about a month old, Mary and Joseph brought him to the Temple in Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. For it was written in the law of the Lord, every first-born male born shall be consecrated to the Lord. And a sacrifice of two turtle doves shall be offered.

There was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would see the Messiah before he died. He was in the Temple when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus. Simeon took Jesus into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, God, you may let your servant die in peace. My eyes have seen your saviour, a light for the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” So we see God using young children to fulfil covenants made with His and for His people.

Children teach us equality and acceptance of others despite our differences. The Bible stresses that we are all equal in the presence of God regardless of age, gender or status and we are all saved by the grace of God and not by our efforts. Jesus uses children to drive this point home when the disciples try to keep the children away from him during a sermon, warning that: “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”  So how do children receive? They receive with gratitude even for the most mundane of things. They welcome people without guile, reservations and do not ask questions. This is how we should be able to receive the kingdom of God; stop asking so many questions and just rest in the Father and accept what He says and lovingly trust that He will give the Kingdom to you with or without your good works.

Teachable age

It is no mistake that education is more effective when we are young because the younger we are when certain values are taught, the more we are likely to retain them. Self-control, kindness, perseverance, tenacity and above all, love will stick and bear fruit, when they taught from childhood.

Children tend to be more truthful than adults, they love more freely and without motive being indeed pure in heart and see the good in everyone. 

Children are more forgiving and will return for comfort even to their tormentors in case, of abusive parents and guardians. And the gospel indeed encourages us to forgive for we too have been forgiven. Children are more likely to try new things, a quality that can both be good or negative depending how it is used.

Be  cautious

And yet Christ cautions us to be on guard so that were are not destroyed in our naivety.  “He says, I send you out as lambs among wolves. But, you must be wise like the serpent but without guile like the dove.”

Always look out for signs and be on guard let your light keep shining for if the owner of the house knew at what hour the thief would break in. So, be childlike and not childish in all you do for these are evil days.