“I am about to do a new thing” – Isaiah 43:19 (NRSV)
During the last Sunday of the year, December 29, I had the privilege to spend time with some of our young people during the “Children’s Time” in worship. I spoke to the children about the New Year to come. In particular, the students helped me put together a list of things to do in 2025. The list was terrific. The list is below . . .
1. Be a good friend
2. Try “new” things
3. Help others
4. Pray!
5. Get more active in the church
I am continually amazed at the wisdom of our young disciples. They have deep thoughts and they make us ponder the important matters in life. Our students shed light on new possibilities in a world that is often struggling and broken. Children demonstrate God’s grace and promise to redeem and restore all things. Blaise Pascal once noted, “Wisdom leads us back to childhood.”
Truth is, the Bible has always lifted up children. Children are celebrated in the Old Testament in stories involving Isaac, Ishmael, Samuel, and David, to name a few. In the New Testament, both the gospel writers and Paul in his letters to the early church, bring out an understanding of the kingdom, or kin-dom, of God. Young students play a central role in the understanding of the kingdom. In numerous passages, children are lifted up as role models who demonstrate the characteristics that are valued in the kingdom. The trust, vulnerability, humility and directness of children are to be displayed by adults too.
Personally, I have learned a lot from my daughters, Emma and Sophia, over the years. They are not young children anymore, but I continue to value the lessons they taught me over time. And yes, they still teach me so much today.
Might we take time to listen and learn from the children around us? At the same time, might we seek to be a bit more like them as they help us become a bit more like God! I really appreciate this list from our children and will focus on this list in the year to come. New Year’s blessings,
Pastor Scott