Time to 'just be' at church

This Sunday belongs to children; it is our annual Christmas Pageant Sunday.

I began to think about children in church after reading an article by Lisa Brown, Director of Children’s Ministry and Communications at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh. In her essay, “Feral church children: Kids need time to ‘just be’ at church,” she writes, “At church, kids will form relationships with caring adults who … have no expectations of achievement. We aren’t looking at a kid to determine their academic, athletic or artistic ability. We aren’t evaluating them. We welcome them as a child of God. We are always glad to see them, no matter what is going on in their life. At church, kids will learn an alternate life narrative to that which is glorified in mainstream culture. … [They learn] that happiness and self-worth can be measured by metrics other than material and financial success. … At church, kids won’t just learn about God in a book, they will experience God in relationships and in community.”

Children are not just children. They are children of God. Could there be a more appropriate place for children than the sanctuary and the nooks and crannies of the church? This Sunday I really hope to see you in church. Come, embrace the chaos, the noise and laughter. Take a deep breath and smile. This is life! This is community! This is family! This is heaven! It’s all very cool.