Our young people and children gave us a superb weekend. On Saturday it was 'Tea at the Savoy'. Savoy style tea served in a Savoy style way. On Sunday our two groups (St Mary's and St Paul's) planned and led both services.
I'm presently thinking towards a Civic Service when the theme will be 'children'. I've been pondering Jesus' words in Matthew 18 and 19. Though most sermons focus on the qualities of children we should develop I have never been over-struck by this approach. Children aren't, for example, especially humble or simple.
What strikes me is that Jesus commends childlikeness in all that it means. Dependant, rebellious, fearful, playing, and so much more. As children we will be all of these things - 'children' of our heavenly Father, just as the disciples were.
Perhaps at the root is dependence. Children are objectively that - even if they don't realise it some (much?) of the time.
Rowan Williams writes of how we need to protect children from early adulthood. They need space where they can play at adulthood without over-much responsibility. In that way they grow into it.
So, children grow up, and we need to grow down and learn to be children again.
I'm all for getting younger!
No comments:
Post a Comment