Children's Time (Sep 8, 2013)

Children’s Time

Good morning.

Welcome back, everyone. It’s really good to see you and hear your voices and laughter and to enjoy your energy!

Just as we prayed together this morning, we truly hope that this place we call ‘church’ be a tree of joy for you and for everyone to climb up and play around, a place that gives us laughter and love.

So I am sure many of you have gone back to school this week, and spent time with friends you haven’t seen in a while. The first week of school can be fun, but it can also make you feel a bit anxious, I think.

The night before back-to-school-day my son Peace, who just started grade two, was feeling anxious, so we took a bath together. He really needed the warmth of a nice bath to help him relax and sleep well before his first day of school.

Peace asked me “Mom, do I really have to go back to school? Why do I have to go to school?” Well, I’d heard this question and similar complaints almost every day for a week by then.

I wonder if you can think of any reasons why it’s good to go to school…?

I answered him, “Well, to look after yourself and others in the future. One day, you’ll need to get a job and make money so you can take care of yourself. In order to do that, you have to learn many things at school. You will learn how to be an independent person who can help others as well as look after yourself well.”

Then I asked him, “I have an interesting question for you, then. Why do you have to go to church?” Fortunately for me, he didn’t say, “Because you make me do it.” His first answer was “Because it’s fun. It’s fun to play and learn in the downstairs room.”

Now, I wonder what your answers may be. Why do you come to church?  …

(so) I asked him again, “What else? Why are you happy about being at church? Why do people come to the church?”

He thought for a few seconds and said with some excitement, when an idea hit his mind and his eyes brightened, “To talk about God.”

“Okay” I said, and asked, (because he seemed to really enjoy this conversation - he almost forgot that he brought his toys to the bath to play with)

“Then I have another question for you. Who is God?”

… I wonder whether you have thought about who God is. I would be very interested to hear from you….

You may be curious about how my son gave his answer.

It took twenty or thirty seconds until his eyes brightened again with a memory from around the season of Advent …. “Mom, I know the four different names of God! Peace, Joy, Love …” Well, he couldn’t remember  the last one, but he was so happy to remember those that he called the four different names of God.

So I gave blessings to him in the bath; “May peace, joy, love and the hope of God keep you growing in love of the way of Jesus. And may the mind of peace, joy, love and hope keep you whenever and whatever you do at school, when you are alone or with friends, in the classroom or in recess time. You are ready to start another adventurous year at school.”