Reflections of a Children's Pastor

 

DISCLAIMER: This was mostly written BEFORE our week kind of fell apart due to illnesses. I’m sure there will be a blog post unpacking all of that later. I'm really not ready. But that doesn’t change the “long game” message in my heart that I still want to share.

Both a Best and Worst moment in Children's Ministry. Depends on who you ask.

You probably know if you’re reading this that my occupation, my calling, my vocation, my job title is “Children’s Pastor.” The job description for this is hard to put into words. Sometimes, it includes “shoveling stuff.” Carting items from one part of campus to the next, finding a home for donations, or wondering whether the capless markers are multiplying. Other days it’s filing volunteer applications, and checking references. This week it looks like spending the week in a sweet and cozy cabin with my family and a bunch of my friends, caring for and teaching the infants through preschoolers of the Arizona Nazarene District throughout camp meeting.

But there are two things I love most about my job. The first thing is that when I read in Mark 9:37 that “Whoever welcomes one of such little children in My name, receives Me; and whoever shall receive Me, does not receive Me, but the One having sent me” I remember that I have the best seat in the house each Sunday. Sometimes children’s ministry is seen as “less than” or “not real ministry.” Historically, many have looked at our job as “keep the noisy little ones out of the way so the grown-ups can learn.” But if Mark 9:37 means what I think it does, each Sunday I have the sacred privilege of holding Jesus on my lap, singing him songs, telling him stories, and helping him find his sippy cup.  In fact, Jesus has some very specific words of blessing in Matthew 10:42 for anyone who gives even a cup of cold water to these little ones. I like to imagine a translation that includes goldfish crackers and fruit snacks as well.

The second thing I love is that God and the Church has entrusted me with putting down that foundation on which these little people begin laying the bricks of their faith. Of course, my prayer is that I am supplementing an ongoing conversation of spiritual formation happening with parents and other trusted grown-ups, because I have them for such a short time. But, the reality is, I know each week as I plan the lesson, this might be the first or even only thing these children hear about their Savior, King, and Friend. So each word out of my mouth carries enormous weight.

I have this one little guy who is pretty “extra.” Little man goes through life, as Bob Goff would say, “like he’s sponsored by Red Bull.” You absolutely cannot help but love him, mischievous grin and all.  Whether he’s been listening intently or playing with his shoe instead, he is always the first one to raise his hand at the end of our Storytime, and wants to answer all the questions. It doesn’t matter what the question is, he always answers it the same. And no, the answer he gives isn’t just “Pray and Read the Bible” which is basically Sunday-school-speak for “Try harder.”

Instead, it goes something like this:

Last Sunday, we read a story about Solomon building the Temple, and the deal he made with his allies to purchase the wood he needed in exchange for food.

I said to the children I love, “I know it doesn’t say a lot directly about God or use his name in this story, but where do you see him working?”

Little man raises his hand. I know what’s usually next.

“Okay, buddy, what do you think?”

“God loves all the people.”

Always. The. Answer. Maybe it doesn’t seem like that has anything to do with Solomon and his purchase of wood. But I will mark that answer right on every test.

So, in that moment I looked him straight in the eye and said, “If you only ever remember ONE thing about God, that is the MOST important thing to know about Him. The Bible says, God IS love. ‘God loves all the people’ is ALWAYS the right answer in every story.”

I don’t just say this because it feels good. It’s theologically sound. At least through the lenses of the faith tradition I am a part of. God has many, many attributes. These attributes coexist in our perfect, complete, and Holy God. Different Christian traditions might place more weight or emphasis on one over the other. Perhaps his sovereignty, his power, or his justice. But I stand on the shoulders of many of our Church fathers and mothers, and on the opinions of John Wesley, who believed that when God’s love seems to bump up against or even contradict any of the other attributes true of God, the love carries the most weight. It’s the trump card. The Ace. God’s love does not negate his other attributes, but it cannot be separated from them. I’m not 100% sure I can tell you what specifically the “yeast of the Pharisees” was in Mark 8:15, but the yeast of the Christ followers is love. It permeates everything we do. It’s what makes our faith come to life.

I probably didn’t get to be your Children’s Pastor. The only people who have graduated out of our congregation’s children’s ministry since I have been there are part of GenZ which means they will probably never see this because it is not a Tik Tok video. But whoever you are, and however long you’ve been listening to stories about God, there’s one thing I MOST want you to know about Him. And it’s not “try harder” so you can get your fireproof ticket. It’s this…”God loves all the people.” He loves you. He loves your enemy. He loves his children who live in America, and Ukraine, Iraq, and Uganda. He loved you while you were yet lost and a slave to sin. And he loves you as you journey closer to becoming the reflection of his own image, He created you to be. As others have said to me, I now say to you, “Never, ever doubt it.”