Let children be children?

[Richard OFfill]

When I pastored an academy church I always had a children's story. There can be a problem with the children's story time and that is that we often act like children. I don't need to tell you that children are not by nature reverent in church. We must be careful that we don't set a tone in the children's story that somehow misrepresents reverence or make it difficult to practice.

I know that some churches have tried to solve this by having a children's church. We must be careful or the children's church could come to have more in common with Sesame Street than teaching the children how to worship a Holy God. People who are not taught the principles and significance of reverence in their childhood will find it difficult later on.

The challenge we face is how to make sacred things understandable without making them profane. There are children's Bibles these days depicted in a cartoon motif. There are even videos for children that are trying to teach them Bible stories that mix science fiction with Scriptural truth.

You might say, "Pastor O'Ffill, lighten up. You used to be a child once yourself. Let's let children be children." Friends, in dealing with the things having to do with the holy, we must ever study how to represent God as He really is. To lower the things of God to the level of cartoon characters, puppets and clowns is not to lead our children to the truth, but away from it.

[Raven]

AMEN!

[newbie]

AMEN!