The Worst Children's Sermon Ever

Throughout all of the different years and all of the different places I've been blessed to serve, all of the Youth Encounter teams...  I've seen and been a part of some terrible children's sermons.  The science experiment that doesn't work and that you didn't try ahead of time to double check, when you're trying your best to engage with young ones and met with silence, or every parent's favorite--when your child says something down right embarrassing and you blush to the core.  Personally, I think some of the best children's sermons are the "worst ones."

The all time worst children's sermon I have ever seen came almost 13 years ago to the day in Columbus, Ohio.  A group of us had just formed Captive Free Southeast in the late spring of 2001 (we'll save that adventure and story for another day), and we were finishing up some training at a church in Columbus that will remain nameless.  (Honestly, after living here for now 3 years, I've visited lots of Lutheran churches in hope that I can find it, and I can't figure it out.  I honestly don't remember the name.)  We had agreed to help with a few songs in worship, but the pastoral intern was going to be doing the children's sermon for Pentecost.  I remember us vaguely offering--not because we would do such a supreme job, but simply because we enjoyed puppets and honestly wanted to test out a puppet show!  The pastor waived us off and thanked us graciously but said the intern had it under control.  

The experience was so bad that it was forever burned into my mind.  It was one of those times when you are helping lead worship and you are made to sit up front, so you can't react publicly because everyone will see.  The intern pastor called all of the kids up.  It was clear that he had been there for almost a full year and knew them quite well.  He was a large but gentle giant and the kids greeted him warmly.  From there, things went down hill drastically.  This young intern pastor switched from a kind greeting to a monotone voice as the following children's sermon played out:  "Well kids, do you know what today is?  (Silence.)  That's right.  It's Pentecost.  Let's do a cheer for the church.  On the count of three, let's all yell together, Yeah Church.  1, 2, 3.... Yeah church (no kids responding, just the monotone of the intern pastor).  Let's try that again.  1, 2, 3.... Yeah Church.  (No response.)  Ok, go sit down now."  Suffice to say that while people enjoyed the young intern, that they also all agreed that children "weren't his thing."

What I didn't realize was that on that day, my love affair with Pentecost really began.

I had grown up in the church with the same text year after year, just like everyone else on Pentecost.  Year after year of hearing people stumble over the pronunciation of the names listed in Acts 2.  Being told to wear the color red as we celebrated.  The problem was that no one ever really told me what we were celebrating.  Every once in a while, the idea was floated around that this was the church's birthday.  My contrarian nature made me say, if this is the church's real birthday--shouldn't we do a better job of celebrating?

As the years flew by, the experiences continued...  Working in churches where the pastor and I joked that he would memorize Peter's sermon and use that as the sermon on Pentecost or the beautiful idea of reading the Scripture in various languages.  I think that the true image of Pentecost began a new chapter for me when I was living in Denmark.  While I often worshipped in Danish congregations, every once in a while I would sneak off to the English speaking church in Copenhagen.  Sometimes it was nice to hear a bit of English, and interestingly enough, I ran into one of the first Danes who became a part of Youth Encounter teams as he and his now wife helped lead the congregation.  It was a small piece of "home" for me.  But far and away, the most beautiful portion of worship was when it would be time for the Lord's Supper.  We would all gather in the front of this very large church as close to the altar as we could.  At the end of the words of institution, we would all join in the Lord's Prayer together--each in their own language.  It was such a beautiful picture of the kingdom of God, a true foretaste of the feast to come.  We would all smile with deep joy as we heard 30, 40, 50 different languages expressed.

As the years went on, the studying continued.  Always seeming to have a particular soft place in my heart for this day of celebration in the church which I didn't really understand.  It wasn't until I really started to make the connections in the last few years, that I really began to value this day as one of my absolute favorite celebrations.  When I began to make the connections...  The Exodus is one of the greatest things that has ever happened and the first Passover celebration with it.  The salvation of God's people and then leading them to freedom.  While wandering around in the dessert isn't way, I would personally choose to celebrate, it ended in a time of beauty.  50 days later--God gave his people another great gift.  At the very first Pentecost, God gave His people His Word.  For such a great thing has never happened as  God taking and calling a people His own, and rescuing them and granting them freedom.  But freed for what?  After 400 years of being told exactly what to do, when to work, how to work, when to eat, what to eat...  After generations of slavery, freedom would be joyous but also terrifying.  What is the purpose of life then?  Before it was to make bricks for Pharaoh.  Now what do we do?  How do we live?  On the first Pentecost--Moses was given the Word of God.  Pentecost is really the climax of the exodus story.  The people of God were freed from slavery and freed to be in relationship with Him.  

And all of this was really only a small picture, an object lesson if you will for what God has done for us.  In the Passover, the true Passover Lamb was sacrificed so that we would be ransomed, rescued, set free.  Set free from death and given to life.  Set free to be in relationship with God who has always been and will always be about the business of dwelling with us.

For many years, I have always wondered and asked the question...  What must it have been like for the disciples to be face to face with Jesus?  That would be the ultimate relationship and gift.  Not that I would ever turn that down, but I think I have changed my mind.  In the Gospel of John, Jesus tries to explain to the disciples the ultimate idea of God always being with them.  They don't understand.  They get confused.  I still get confused reading the passage no matter how many times I read it.  But we in our culture, in our relationship with God take so very much for granted!  In our baptism, we have been given the gift of the Spirit--even though in the Lutheran tribe, we're terrified if anyone mentions anything else!  We get queazy.  Understandably so.  We can't understand or explain the unknown.  We've also heard the testimony of some of our Pentecostal brothers and sisters who own up to the abuse that has happened in their own tribe.

Lutherans--wake up and smell the coffee!  We've been called the sleeping giant of a church because if we ever figured this out...

We have never known differently--in our baptisms we have been granted the Spirit.  The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead...  That power lives inside of us.  Ultimately "God with us."  God's people throughout their entire story have longed for this gift that we have taken for granted!  When Israel was led by a cloud and a great pillar of fire--what a beautiful gift, God with them, leading them.  With Moses and the burning bush--what a beautiful gift, God leading him.  With Abraham, Ezekiel, on Mount Sinai...  The list goes on and on and on.  The people of God have always desired His presence with them.  It's how we were created--to be in relationship with God and so our hearts ache for Him, are filled with great joy and love in this relationship.  We were created it for it.  Have you not said, well if God would only send me an email or show up and tell me face to face?  Or I would really believe and trust if I could see?

And so God did the unthinkable--clothing Himself with humanity and walking among us.  So that we might have a true mediator.  Moses had been the people's mediator because they were too scared to approach this presence of God they so deeply desired.  Moses would pray every time and intercede each time the people of God sinned.  Moses was great.  Jesus is better.  He didn't simply pray for us, he died.  And rose.  And ascended...

All so that we would never have to leave God's presence.  God desires relationship with us on such an intimate level, that He has set up residence inside us.  So on this day, we don't simply celebrate the "church's birthday."  It is something far greater.  For God had already chosen for Himself a royal priesthood, a holy nation.  Though we were among the smallest and weakest.  Though we had nothing of beauty to offer.  Though there was nothing desirable about us.  God has seen us, called us His own, rescued us, and this weekend we celebrate the intimate gift we have been given.  For there is no greater thing than this.