Yesterday, I was tasked by my wife to say a "devotional" during the Christmas party of our homeschool group. I have very recently heard a spirited defense of NT Wright on the merits of child dedication versus adult dedication. It was filled with the usual rigorous intellectualizing filled with historical footnotes one was to expect from Wright. Naturally, I prepared a short message based on that to tickle the minds and convictions of those I was going to be speaking with.
My part of the program was after the usual parlor games that homeschoolers play and just before dinner. In the middle of "Simon Says" and "Freeze Dance" it suddenly struck me - my goodness my audience was going to be these kids! All 10 of them aged 2 to 10! However strong the arguments of NT Wright are will crumble in the face of these kids! Children are notoriously susceptible to boredom and they will not hesitate to tell the speaker personally that they are boring.
After a mini-panic, I prayed and quickly thought how to arrange the thoughts.
When it was my turn, I asked everyone to gather. Kids sat in front, and the parents at the back. First, we read John 13:35: By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. And then I began.
A preaching to the children.
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Do you know that when you were still babies, your father and mother decided that you will be dedicated to God? (Enthusiastic yes!) They made a whole ceremony of it, it was a party thrown especially for you. Of course you were too young to remember it then. In fact, you probably did not get asked if you wanted that party at all. But during that party, your father and mother made a very important decision on your behalf. They decided that you will be growing up knowing and loving Jesus Christ.
You see your father and mother wanted to share a belief with you. They wanted you to grow up believing it too. Someone once said "You cannot believe alone. (NT Wright)" When I heard that man say it, I was absolutely shocked. I was schocked because what he said was absolutely true.
When I say that "I believe it is raining outside (it was actually)". Am I right to believe it? (Yes!). That is because you can go out and see the rain, and you believe it too. We can believe that it is raining together. If I believe it is bright and sunshiny outside, am I right? (No!)
You see if I believe in something, and I am alone in believing it, chances are I am wrong. That is because I cannot believe alone. If my belief is true, there will always be others who believe as I do.
You are now big kids and no longer babies. And what your father and mother have tried to do is to bring you up together in a community of people who believe the same things. We all believe God loves us. That He is always there when we need Him. We believe God wants what's best for us. We believe He wants us to serve Him. He wants us to be obedient children, and also obedient parents. He wants mom and dad to love one another. And He wants kids to be good friends and care for each other too.
God also wants us to correct one another. When we are being bad boys and girls, He wants us to tell each other that too. So we can apologize to one another and say sorry. Because when we say we believe together, part of that is asking each other if we really believe what we say we do.
Do you know CS Lewis? (All kids say yes!) You might have already read the Narnia books or watched the Narnia movies. He said something which I want to share with you: "No one goes to heaven alone." We go in groups. We go in packs. Isn't that lovely? (Thanks for this Jason!)
(At this point, one of the very young kids shared that she was told when we die we will see each other in heaven. How lovely. Wouldn't mind being interrupted by such cuteness.)
Can we all say it together: I cannot believe alone. (I cannot believe alone!)
Excellent. Let us pray.
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That's it. I'm glad I survived that. There's more to unpack here obviously. Like what does this mean in the context of identity? When God gives one his Christian identity, is that identity the individual's possession, or is it possessed by the community of believers bestowed upon the individual? But that is too long and lengthy and kids will not be so kind to suffer through that discourse.
The dinner awaits. And more importantly, the dessert. However rigorous the philosophizing of Lewis and Wright are cannot be more important compared to a good strawberry cake.
Merry Christmas, kids.
