Little Christians II

Here are some further thoughts on the subject of covenant nurture. At Christ Church we have a whole bunch of kids. Kids are kids. Sometimes they do silly things and sometimes they need to be corrected. But as we treat them like believers (little believers, of course) a funny thing happens. They love coming to church and they worship vigorously. They also feel they are part of The Church with all its responsibilities and privileges (we don’t have “children’s church” and they are full participants). It has also been my pleasure to serve a congregation where the kids are much more respectful to adults, officers of the church, and to the church as a cultus. Sadly, most of my Christian experience has been in congregations where the kids  are a confusing appendage that everyone wished would somehow transform into ideal adult Christians via photosynthesis. Unfortunately, most leave at the end of the day.

 

So, let’s stop putting stumbling blocks in their way and as King Jesus says, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 19:14)

Comments

[RevK]

AMEN again!

[Boneman]

One of the weird things I have run into at my new Presbyterian / PCUSA church (which I totally love), is that they tend to use the word, "member," in a technical-bureaucratic sense and not in a theological sense. When they designate someone as a member, they seem to mean someone who has voting rights in the church. So for example, they would say my kids are part of the church - just not members... The infant baptisms I have seen are pretty robust as an initiation rite (if you will), but somehow the polity has mangled their language of "membership."

I wouldn't normally get too worked-up about a word like that, except that Paul seems to use the word, "member," in a deliberately theological way. I don't want my kids to be confused about being a "member" of Christ's body because they don't vote at the annual church meeting.

I think we need to be blogging on this a lot more...

Pax,

Boneman

[Garrett]

Yeah, I hear you. But then over here in the CREC you either go "Head of Household" or start introducing strange judicial titles like "electors." We, of course, got the substance of our church constitution from this other church...;)

[RevK]

Bones is right here,

Something "Americana" about children needing to be of age to become "communicant members" so they can vote -- this is not right! I say as soon as your old enough to cast lots, you should be a full communicant member! (At least I think I can find more texts for that notion than church members submitting a ballot.)

[RevK]

you're