¹³ People were bringing children to Jesus so that he would bless them. But the disciples scolded them. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he grew angry and said to them, “Allow the children to come to me. Don’t forbid them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people like these children. ¹⁵ I assure you that whoever doesn’t welcome God’s kingdom like a child will never enter it.” ¹⁶ Then he hugged the children and blessed them.

This past week was our Vacation Bible Camp. Although it didn’t have the large gathering that we usually do for this week nor did we have all the hustle and bustle on our campus, we did have a place that children could come together and be a part of a community and learn about how Jesus showed kindness and love to those that were marginalized in society.  I personally find it hard to believe that children were once not noticed and part of the marginalized. 

Whether at Sunday School, VBC or mission trips, my experience of working with children has left the impression on me that they are HARD not to notice!   Children come with such open hearts and minds.  They come without doubt and negativity.  Their faith is full of trust.  I believe we can learn from children during this pandemic.

What if we were to take these traits that children express so naturally and apply them to our lives in today’s world? What if we approached life with an open heart and mind? Perhaps with open hearts and minds we would be able to encounter less doubt and friction within ourselves and with others. We would be able to live in the moment with acceptance naturally leading us to a more peaceful existence.  With an open mind comes adaptability, which opens us to new experiences and those new experiences can help us to experience God in new ways. With an open heart we are able to be on both the receiving and giving end of love. What if we approached life during a pandemic with trust? Trusting that we will get through this and that it won’t always be like this. Trusting that the changes that come from this pandemic will be blessings and trusting that God is beside us right here and right now and we have all that we need. Trusting is living out your faith and removes the fear.

There is much we can learn from children and I am grateful that here at CUMC we see the children as blessings and they are included, supported and loved because that opens the pathway for the learning to begin.

Gracious and loving God you give us all that we need including children who are inquisitive, full of wonder and trust that teach us how to live a more faithful life. Children are one of the many blessings you have given us.  Thank you for children. Amen

Grace and peace,
Marty

“Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.” – Romans 12:9-11

Like many of you, my family have been binge-watching old shows on TV. Elizabeth decided that it would contribute to her “Cultural Literacy” to watch all of the episodes of every Star Trek series in time-line order. Kathy and I agreed, but realized that we can only handle one episode an evening. So this may take years!

We have been through all of “Enterprise” and have just started on the original series. Last night we watched season 1, episode 4, “The Naked Time.” This may have been set 200 years from now, and may have been produced in 1966, but it was spot-on for 2020.

We watched as two crew members beamed down to a frozen station on a planet that was about to blow up. Something had happened to make all 20 of the station staff die in strange ways. The crew members didn’t wear space suits, but something that looked like hazmat suits or Personal Protective Equipment (spoiler alert: the PPE was red!).

Our jaws dropped and then Lizzie shouted “Nooooooo!” as the ill-fated crewmember took off a glove, reached out to a surface to support himself, then reached under his face mask with that same hand to RUB HIS NOSE!  Of course he beamed back to the ship without mentioning anything. Of course he engaged in physical interaction with other crew members. Of course he came down with a heretofore unknown virus.

As you may recall, this was the virus that caused people to lose their inhibitions. Dr. McCoy explained that the virus turned the water in their bodies into alcohol. The fun for the viewer and horror for the crew was that deeply hidden desires, needs, emotions, and personality traits rushed to the surface.

We ended up talking about the parallels to our time; about virus protections, of course, but in other ways as well. No, COVID-19 doesn’t get us drunk. But our reactions to the restrictions and to the time spent being “safer at home” have seemed to allow some of our more basic (and base) instincts and characteristics to rise to come to the fore.  Some people have become more kind and generous. Others have become more reactionary and defensive. Most of us have felt that our emotions reside much nearer to the surface.

Christianity is not about performance. It isn’t about trying to appear holy in order to make God like us. Instead, a relationship with God through Jesus the Christ brings a fundamental transformation to our very being. Trying times tend to show us who we are at the core. If I don’t like what I see, perhaps it is time to ask the Holy Spirit to work in my anew. Then love will be genuine.

Holy Spirit, Refiner’s Fire, burn in our hearts once more. Consume the fear which holds us captive. Melt our icy selfishness. Expand your grace, so that our love and joy may be without limit. Grant us strength to persevere and hope to see us through. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.