Why I do the "Time for Children"

Some pastors just don't do "Time for Children."

The "Time for Children"--otherwise known as the "Children's Sermon" or some similar name--is the portion of a worship service when the pastor calls up kids, usually middle-school age and younger, to the front of the sanctuary. With the kids sitting around her, the pastor then relates some message to them in a more familiar, and perhaps more interactive, fashion than she will do in the "adult" sermon. It's an opportunity for kids to get their own word during the worship service; it's an opportunity for them to raise their hands, talk, and learn during a ceremony that otherwise requires their silence and calm.

The Time for Children requires some flexibility on the part of the pastor. After all, kids younger than 13 have not learned the "adult" discipline of guessing what kind of answer the pastor is looking for. Thus, they'll speak their answer to a question--whatever answer fits into the thought-world of a child who's just glad to be here and not worried about whether she conforms.

They tell the truth about what comes up in their minds when the pastor speaks or asks a question. The filters of propriety and fear that purify and rectify the thoughts of adults (which, I suspect, are actually little different than those of elementary-age kids) have not yet developed. Pastors who choose to do Children's Time get a spoonful (or a firehose) of humanity at its brightest, fullest, and messiest. We who invite kids up to have a conversation in front of the microphone sometimes have to put on goggles and rubber boots.

And I love the Time for Children. Here's why I enjoyed it this week.

I held up a print for the kids to examine. It was a painting by He Chi, a Chinese painter using a two-dimensional iconic style. The image was of the risen Jesus Christ sitting at table with two disciples. A fish and a cup of bright red liquid graced the surface of the table. I asked simple enough questions. And here's what the Spirit did (I have changed names to protect the parents).

"What are these people doing? Susie?" "They're eating dinner."

"What are they eating? Michael?" "Fish."

"What else is on the table? Johnny?"

"A Bloody Mary."

I love Time for Children.

~emrys