Receiving God as a Child Advent 1c December 2021

 

 

On this First Sunday of the church year, on a Sunday when we welcome two new members into the household of God, beginnings are on my mind.

Much like a secular New Year, today we have the opportunity to begin again, to face this New Year with a fresh and earnest resolve. “This year I will read the Bible more, pray more regularly, seek to be the light of Christ to all those whom I encounter, live into the unconditional of love of God etc etc.” On this First Sunday we resolve to be better practitioners of our faith.

But how do we keep our church year resolutions? How do we become more faithful? Read more, study more, pray more, give more, hope more? Sure, all of those are good ideas. But before we embark on any of these resolutions perhaps we should consider the little children…those who have been here, those who are here, those who will be here. Perhaps we should consider the children.

People are fond of saying that “the children are the future of the church.” And while that is true, they are also the present and the past. As Jesus states in the gospel reading for today—-“whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will not enter it.” Jesus doesn’t say—if you don’t have children in your church the church is dying. He doesn’t say, your prayers are more likely to be heard if you have a bunch of kids running around coffee hour. He doesn’t say that young people will make your stewardship campaign more successful. Jesus says:

“whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will not enter it.”

We aren’t to try and populate our churches with children—although that would be awesome—-we are to approach our relationship with God as a child does. The kids clamoring to touch Jesus weren’t doing it because they agreed with his theology or even cared what he preached, what he said, who he socialized with. No they clamored for Jesus because they felt his love and wanted to reciprocate.

They clamored to be with Jesus because being with Jesus felt good. Safe. Nourishing. Fun. They sought out Jesus because they knew Jesus was longing for them.

And that’s what Jesus is telling us to do—-to enter the wonder of God with the wide eyed excitement, joy and trust of a child.

On this baptism day, as we promise to support Damian and Johannas in their life in Christ, may we make one more promise—-to engage in our relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, with the unbridled hope, unabashed love and utter trust of a child. Let us love God, ourselves and one another with the same love we all feel as we witness these two babies enter the kingdom of God free of doubt and full of hope.

Let the children come to me, says Jesus, not to save the church but to save you and me. The future of the church isn’t children, it’s the child-like love of God expressed through us, in all that we do and with all those whom we encounter.

Now, let’s baptize us some babies!

Amen.