Have
you ever taken a look at the two easels we have? We have one in the narthex and
the other in the hallway outside the office. They are designed for children,
with a whiteboard on one side and a chalkboard on the other. We put them there
and keep them stocked with markers, chalk, and erasers because we know how much
children love to draw and write.
I
love looking at the boards to check out the newest creations. Sometimes I’ll
find beautiful flowers or perhaps a simple drawing of a tree or a person. Other
times our children will leave the most heart-tugging messages. Last May I found
this message on Mother’s Day Sunday: “Dear Mom I love you for ever and ever.”
A
few weeks back I spotted this message written in the lower corner of the board
outside my office: “there is no war in the kingdom of god”. Wow – the wisdom of
a child! Is it any wonder our Lord says to us, “it is to such as these that
kingdom of heaven belongs.”
Our
older youth find the lure of the whiteboard irresistible as well. Last July our
Triennium-bound youth couldn’t contain their excitement and wrote “TRI, here we
come. Yay!” I still am awestruck by the fact that 11 of 50 participants from
our Presbytery came from our church.
These
writings tell me that we are honoring well the covenant promise we make with our
children to nurture their faith and help them to grow in Christ. We do this in
so many ways: through Sunday School, Youth Groups, and choirs, but most
important, we nurture faith by our own example, each of us, living lives of
grace, forgiveness, and love.
How
many young lives have we touched and shaped within our church over the past 146
years? Thousands upon thousands - more than we can count! And we should not
overlook the more than 7,000 children who have been part of our Early Learning
Center the past 50 years. We have touched their lives as well through an
extraordinary ministry that is joyfully celebrating its golden anniversary this
year.
Have
a look at all the boards around our building, including the many creative
bulletin boards that fill our walls. But take special note of the children
gathered around the easels – have a look at what they are writing and drawing, and
hear the words of our Lord, “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the
kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.”
And
all God’s children said, “Amen!”
Pastor Skip
