Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.[1]
Who would doubt Jesus’ sincerity about wanting children to
come to him? Yet the actions of many in the church imply that we don’t believe
children can really access the depths of relationship with Christ. There are
challenges associated with the spirituality of children, to be sure, but
against them stand the very nature of God and ancient practices that can assist
children on the way.
Challenge
When I was a teenager I was delighted to be ministering to
children. I felt called to children’s ministry as a child and as a teenager I
was already realizing the dream. However,
one Sunday morning shook my convictions so violently that, for a time, I abandoned
the thought of ministry to children. A new pastor had just taken over the
children’s ministry that I had been running with some friends. I was helping
her this particular Sunday when she invited the children to respond to a
salvation message. I saw many children finding places of prayer, asking Jesus
to be their Savior. Instead of
producing joy, this event rocked me to my core. Many of these children were already saved and had in the
weeks and months before been finding places of prayer to deepen their
relationships with God and seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I was immediately faced with the
question: Can children understand this spiritual life? Is the richness of
relationship with the triune God available to them?
Today, I am the father of five-year-old Foster and
seven-year-old Ella. This challenge comes home to me as I attempt to use all of
my training as a children’s pastor to help them find their own experiences of
God. Ella is naturally more interested in the things of God. Foster is younger
and is at a stage where “Jesus things” are boring. Exploring Foster’s spirituality with him is even more
challenging. I have come to believe that the wealth of spiritual relationship
is for them, yet those questions from my teen years spur me on to study how
that spiritual growth happens.
