PROPER16C 2007

MinistryFair – Children and Youth

Today we begin the first of what wecall our ministry fairs. This day is dedicated to our ministry to our childrenand our youth. So this morning I want to say a few things about the importanceof ministry to our children, andthen talk about how you can participate in the ongoing process of helping ourchildren experience Jesus in a safe and healthy community of faith.

As I read over the lesson for todayI was struck by something the prophet Isaiah said many years ago.  The passage we read from Isaiah isabout a coming judgment of the people. To the leaders of the people, God saysthis:

……when the overwhelming scourge passes through     it will not come tous; for we havemade lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter”; Isa 28:15 (NRSV)

I was struck by the phrase….”we have made lies our refuge,  and in falsehood we have takenshelter….”

In essence,  these leaders were living a life basedupon lies and falsehood. They were trusting in that which was not trustworthy.They were putting all their hopes and dreams in illusions of truth. This is acommon theme in the Bible.

But the writer goes on to say thatthere is a foundation stone, atested stone, a sure foundationthat will be a safe and a sure place for anyone when God’s judgment comes:

Isa 28:16(NRSV) ¹⁶    thereforethus says the Lord GOD,     See,I am laying in Zion a foundation stone,     a tested stone,     a preciouscornerstone, a sure foundation:     “One who trusts will not panic.”

And then in our lesson from Hebrewswe also have a theme of judgment and warning. The writer says that everythingthat can be shaken, will be shakenand destroyed, not only the thingsof earth, but the heavens also. And then the writer says:

but……weare receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,……; Heb 12:28 (NRSV

And then in our Psalm fortoday, one which we often read atfunerals, we read about how God isour refuge, our help in times oftrouble. We don’t need to fear anything, even though the earth move, or the mountains crash into the sea,  or the waters rage and foam.  We don’t need to be afraid because Godis with us, and there is aplace, a kingdom,  a city that will never be overthrown,  and God reigns there forever.

Now I have lived for a few years. I just went to my 40^thHigh School reunion. So you cankind of guess my age, though I was a childhood genius!  This image of our lives being shakenreally struck me, because in myyears of ministry, it is very rare that anyone, in the course of their life,does not face severe times of their whole life being shaken – through financialstruggles, failed marriages, raising children, ill health,  the lose of a child, or a spouse, emotional fears,  personal failures,  addictions, and on and on.

Wahat does this have to do with ourchildren? I think the applicationis pretty obvious. Where,  and when, are our children going to learn about the “preciouscornerstone”, which we say isJesus? Where are our childrengoing to learn about the kingdom that cannot be shaken?  Where are our children going to learnto discern between the lies of this world and the truth? When they areolder, what foundation are theygoing to have? Upon what rock arethey going to base their lives?

One of the great “lies”  or “falsehoods” that we buy into in ourpresent culture is that we are “safe” and in control of our destiny.  Our material wealth gives us,  and our children,  a sense of security and power that, intruth, is a total illusion. Even in the midst of our comfortableexistence, illness and death andfailure strike all the time. And anyone who knows history knows how quicklyeconomies can fail, or wars interruptour comfortable lives, or nature strike with fire or flood or earthquake ordisease.

I believe that the single mostimportant thing that we can do for our children is to teach them the Christianfaith. There is not one other thing more important than that. Everything elseis secondary – Education, sports, job success, music, hobbies, having a goodtime growing up and on and on. Central to our core values here at Faith Episcopal Church is thisbelief. After the soccer star’s knees are gone, after the education at Stanford, after they have a $100,000 job in a great company, our children will have to live life. The glory is gone. No one reallycares that much that they went to Stanford. As a matter of fact, the guy whoonly went to JC is making more money and is happier selling cars.  Life must be lived. Maybe the first childborn has a handicap. Maybe the marriage isn’t all that great. Maybe afterstriving for worldly success a great sense of emptiness strikes. Maybe thegreat job turns into a nightmare. Life begins.

A Christian child who grows up isnot going to have any easier life than anyone else. Yet if faith exists intheir heart, when life getstough, they will have a deeperresource, or as the Bible says,  a refuge, or a strong rock to flee toand find strength and hope and peace. When their life is shaken, and all aroundthem is falling apart, they will know where to turn.

And when we teach our childrenfaith, it is not only for them to have a healthier and stronger life,  it is also for the sake of the world.Where are our children going to learn that, as privileged human beings, theyhave a responsibility to the poor and needy and hurting of the world? As theneeds of the world grow, and as their fellow brothers and sisters around theworld suffer, are they going to ignore their cries and circle the wagons ofprosperity and hope that they are protected and safe? What values are ourchildren going to learn from usabout our responsibility for others around us?

One of the truths that I havelearned in my life experience is that faith is more “caught” than it is“taught”. Faith is not somethingthat we can simply jam into our children’s brains. But simply by being in ahealthy community of faith where the adults are serious about their faith,  over time, faith is caught. The morechildren are a part of the community of faith, the more likely it is that they will “catch” faith. This iswhy I say over and over again, the content of what our children learn is not asimportant as our children sensing that we adults are serious about thisChristian life. As I grow, in a real sense, I know less about God now than I did years ago. By this Imean I realize more and more how mysterious and beyond my understanding ourChristian faith is.

As we celebrate today our ministryto our children, I want to maketwo challenges to us who are older.

First, let us take more seriously our faith. Years ago I heard aPriest say that, yes, they want a good ministry to children,  but that if that was going to happen, theyhad to minister to the adults. If we as adults are not striving to live theChristian life, than of course ourchildren will know this. It is not a matter of having all the answers,  but of simply be sincere and committedto being a follower of Jesus. Of course, children learn the most from theirparents. When children are baptized, the parents promise two things: to bring up the child in the Christian faith and life, and  by their prayers and witness, to helpthe child grow in their Christian life. Parents are the primary faith buildersof their children. So I would challenge all parents to ask themselves,  what is it that they really value fortheir children – education, sports success, job success, popularity, or thatthey be followers of Jesus?

The second challenge that I wouldlike to make to the adults is: if you care about our children,  pray and ask God if there is anythingthat you can do within thecommunity of faith to support their growth in Christ. We have stolen fromanother church a great concept that is called “first serve.”  A first serve means that you can tryout a particular ministry without having to sign up for life. This means thatyou can visit one of the Sunday morning children’s classes and check it out, orgo to the youth group and see what you might be able to do to help,  or any other ministry to our children.Supporting our children does not just mean teaching in a class. Maybe you aregood at administration, and you could help in organization, or you simply agreeto clean and organize the closets. Maybe you love crafts, and could help childrenwith crafts. Maybe you just could be there, especially men, and serve thesnacks and hang out with the kids.

So don’t be afraid to try somethingout. You never know how God has gifted you if you don’t try new things. I havesaid this many times, but it is an illustrating of this truth. I was terrifiedof public speaking in High School and college, and yet hear I am today!! It isall because one day I decided to try my hand at teaching a bible study.

After this service,  please go out on the patio and wanderaround and talk to the leaders of various ministries. And let me say a word toyou who are older and don’t have children around. Now that you are free of theday to day raising of children, maybe you something to give to the nextgeneration. At minimum, all of uscan support and pray for all those serving our children.  We can also learn about what our churchis doing for our children. How many of you have ever been here on a Thursdaynight to see our Pioneer club, or come on a Sunday night to see our youthgroup, or simply walked around ona Sunday morning to see our children’s ministry. Maybe you can’t teach, ordon’t feel that you can do much actively, but we all still can support these ministries and those who lead them.

I am always amazed and so thankfulfor everyone who leads and teaches and gives to see children have theopportunity to grow and learn about Jesus.

In closing,  there is a phrase in a prayer for ourchildren in the prayer book that I think is very powerful. In that prayer, wesay: “God our Father, you see your children growing up in an unsteady andconfusing world.” As I think aboutthe next 50 to 75 years, I thinkthe phrase “unsteady and confusing world” is going to be more and moreapplicable. Today, almost every value of our culture is undergoing severe scrutiny.  Many are being rejected.. some forgood, others not so good. You who watched TV in the 1950’s … compare that towhat a child can see now. Rob andLaurie Petrie couldn’t even sleep in the same bed… and now,   our kids can see it all at anytimeday or night. Our children are going to have to deal with what a pluralisticsociety really is… one that is supposed to exist without any basis in religionor clear moral values. Violence in the inner cities with gangs is ever on theincrease. Terrorism has struck our country and will undoubtedly be a part oftheir lives in the future. How will they respond? How do we deal with Islam andwhat does it mean for the future of American culture? I could go on,  but the future for our children isgoing to a great challenge. It is going to be very different and complex worldthat they will face.

So all that we can do for them tolead them to a foundation that is trustworthy, to a kingdom that cannot be shaken,  is very critical. May God give us thegrace, as adults, and as a community of faith, to increase our care and nurture of our Children.   AMEN!