Monday 17 June 2024

Psalm 143:1-8

Background
Many of us will be part of churches where there are not many children involved in Sunday services. There used to be, but there are fewer now. And we would love to have more with us. We prepare activities in case there are children with us, but too often are disappointed. We long to welcome children into the life of our church, although sometimes we forget that there can be large numbers of children involved weekly through church involvement in schools, various children’s and youth activities, the carers’ and toddlers’ clubs and so on.

Are we courageous enough to ask children what they make of what we do? Do we actually invite a child among us to tell us how they would like a church service to be? What would our buildings, activities and use of finance be if the top priority were children?

The disciples were arguing about which of them was the most important. Possibly they agreed that they were all hugely important, but just which one was the greatest. Jesus subverts their argument and shows the disciples, and us, that our sense of importance has little to do with the kingdom of God. It’s those who society deems as weak, irrelevant and not yet ready to be heard who Jesus points us to be like.

To Ponder:

• Do we still inadvertently exclude some by how we ‘do’ church?
• How can we learn from children today?

Prayer
Loving God, help us to include all today in the life of our church. Forgive us when we inadvertently exclude some by what we do, or what we don’t do. Help us share the good news with all today.

Bible notes author: The Revd Dr Stephen Skuce
Stephen is the Superintendent of the North Western District of The Methodist Church in Ireland.