Children's Messages

Today I went with Nathanael, Bob, and others to the UM church downtown. I enjoyed it...friendly people, good message, Thanksgiving meal after church. It felt like church (CWC, where I normally go, often feels like chapel II.)

Anyway, before the message the pastor invited the children up to the front for a children's message. We've done this in my church at home, but I haven't seen it in a while because I'm always either at a college oriented service or out with chorale somewhere. So the pastor invites the kids up and I found myself wanting to join them (all five of them). But really, at what age are you supposed to stop going up for children's sermons?? Plus it's not like the "adults" still sitting in the pews are tuned out...sure the pastor's looking at the kids, but the message has the same application for everyone. And then there's the whole "Jesus wants us to come to him like little children" argument. So sad it is that that whole middle-schooler 'I'm too cool to go and sit up front for a children's sermon' attitude kicks in and the most people never look back.

I bet if you polled the rest of the congretation, there'd be a good percentage who, if they were really honest, would admit that there was something in them that wanted to go up. ..and if I had gone up, I think most of the audience would've had an "awww...isn't that neat (I wish we all could do that)" reactions. So I think that pastors should have "adult messages where they invite the adults up...maybe rotate somehow so everyone doesn't go up at once. Future pastors - I dare you. And for everyone else, I dare you (and myself) to go up for a children's sermon.