role reversal

from my sermon on Children's Sabbath, 10/18/09, from Mark 9:30-37

I really enjoy doing the children's time in worship. I figure if little children understand that Jesus loves them, then that's a good thing. For my first 4 years in ministry, doing the children's time was my major responsibility in the worship service when I was associate pastor at St. John's here in Austin. Now there was a Dunkin Donuts on Burnet Road that was not too far from the church. They were my fall back position whenever I didn't have anything better to do with the kids. This is before Cathy and I had kids, and before I knew what sugar could do, so I often got donut holes to share. One Sunday this passage came up. I showed the children the donut holes. I asked them to line up and I would give them each a donut hole in order. Of course, after some scrambling and mild wrestling the 20 children lined up with one of the larger boys bullying his way to the front of the line. I opened the box. I went up to him and walked right past him. I went all the way to the end of the line where, I kid you not, his little sister was the last one. I gave her the first donut hole. Why? Because the first shall be last and the last first. The kids got it. Isn't that great? Jesus reverses all of our roles. He turns everything around. The last are most important.
What is not so great is what was happening with the disciples. Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem. We remember what that means in Mark's Gospel, as half of the book has Jesus moving through his passion, death, and resurrection. What are his closest friends doing? They are arguing who is the greatest. Who is number one. Who is first.
Jesus talks with them. You want to be the greatest? Then become last of all and servant of all. Then Jesus acts out a parable instead of speaking it. He takes a child--the Greek word doesn't indicate gender or age--it could be any child--it could be every child-- maybe that is the point. Jesus takes this child into his arms. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me and not just me but the one who sent me.
Here we want to go, Ah, isn't that sweet. We want to sing, Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world... I didn't know how radical it was for Jesus to do what he did until I read the commentaries this past week. Little children in that culture were non-persons, invisible, without power, considered examples of the least and lowliest.
This runs counter to our faith upbringing. Our Hebrew forbears circumcized little boys on the 8th day of life, claiming them as part of the faith community and precious to God. The Jews did not practice child sacrifice as some of the other religions did. If a couple was barren, it was a bitter thing. Children were considered a blessing. They provided economic security and passing on of the family name. In the early church, Christians rescued little babies that were thrown out to die. They took them in and raised them.
So when we hear that children were once counted as nothing, we say, Thank God, it's not that way today!
We love our children, want only the best for them, the best houses, clothes, food, education. We want them to go to the right pre-school so they can go to the right elementary school then middle school, high school, college, get the right job, and make a lot of money and be happy.
One of our ushers asked me if I was okay this morning. Why, I asked. You seem down. Ah, I said, I have some heavy comments to make in the sermon. People may not like them. A very perceptive usher we have.
What I need to say to you on this children's sabbath it that it seems to me we place a lot of pressure on our children to perform. Make good grades. Excel in athletics, band, etc. Grow up so fast, a book is called So Sexy, So Soon. There is no room for play, for creatity, for wonder, for failure.
In psychological terms, our children become projections of us. They are "mini-me's". In theological terms, children become idols. They become objects not persons. They become products, not persons.
I wonder if we are not closer to the culture of Bible times than we care to admit. We can make children into objects by expecting too much as well as ignoring them.
Is there any good news here? I give thanks for Jesus' patience with his followers. How many times do his closest friends not get it. How stupid, how clueless they seem. And yet he continues to teach them. Only here in Mark do we find Jesus "in the house" with them. He sits down to teach them, taking the traditional posture of a rabbi who is giving instruction. He welcomes a child into his arms and their midst. Maybe that's what we need to do also.
I am proud to be a Texan. I was born and raised in Texas. Spent most of my life here. But I am not proud about this next part, again a heaviness descends upon me. Texas is last when it comes to children who do not have health insurance. More than 1.4 million children, more than a in 5 don't have health insurance. I read an article from the James A Baker III Institute on Public Policy at Rice University on the economic impact of uninsured children. Economic....how about the emotional, or relational, or spiritual impact? They resurrect an old line, An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Another great quote from Frederick Douglass, It is easier to raise a healthy child than to repair a broken man. When we talk about health care reform, we need to welcome child into our midst, maybe one who finds it hard to qualify for insurance.
I have a fantasy of childen sitting at the board room table. As we try to make business decisions, we could have children playing rock/paper/ scissors like they are doing here on the front pew. We need new bottom lines that welcome children.
When it comes to the environment, we need to welcome children. What do the native Americans say? Don't make any decision without thinking about how it might affect the next 7 generations. It not just about clean air, water, or soil, it is about the children.
When it comes to church, I would love to have children at the church council meetings, coloring pictures, reading stories, while we try to decide the vision that Christ has for this congregation.
I want to praise this congregation. You welcome children. You help at Any Baby Can. You host Interfaith Hospitality Network where homeless families with children live in our building. You make meals for Mobile Loaves and Fishes, where many of the people on the street are not just single men, but families with children.
I am glad that our worship services welcome children. Don't you like the children's time in worship about the best? I am glad that welcome children at this table. I love to serve children the sacrament of communion. I get right down on their level, and hand them a piece of bread, and say, This means that Jesus loves you very much. So many times, the response comes back, Thank you. May it ever be so. Amen.