Kids and Bibles: My favorite moment at worship in the Hill

Each January I emphasize the importance of READING YOUR BIBLE, delivering a message entitled “On Reading Your Bible.” I pull verses and texts from all over the Bible that indicate and infer that we should know and read God's revealed Word; and then make simple, practical instruction on just plainly reading the Bible.

For the Children’s Message this year, my regular moment with the kids just before the sermon, I put Bibles in the hands of our kids. We went over how many Bible books—“39 in the OT; 27 in the NT” —and the types of writing (“History, Dada, you love history [he nods, yep]. Letters. Prophecy. Gospels. Poetry. Even love stories, yucky, right?”). Then, I used looking up John 3:16 to teach them about chapters and verses. When the kids found the verse, they all read it out loud together. The older kids helping the younger kids. A great moment in worship.
 
Most often I use these moments as the first point of my sermon, at least it’s a set-up for the message. This is most definitely one of, if not my favorite parts of my ministry, of my worship-leading ministry. The love, respect, and acceptance I have received from CPC in The Hill kids and, even, other kids in the Hill, is so priceless to me. Each Sunday I gather all the kids together up front for a short message. Even some of the older kids and teens honor me in joining. Babies crawling around. You never know what a child will give as an answer to a question. And, little ones are very fidgety.

God, give me these kids for your kingdom, soon and very soon.

I usually pray after the children’s message, “Lord, be with these kids so that they’d know your love and grace, now, this week, in school and at home and for always.”

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