Children are the only group of people at church on Sunday who have not willingly chosen to be there.

I see our Children's Ministry team developing relationships with the children and I am encouraged. It makes me want to give a louder voice to the playful storytelling that is going on downstairs each week, to encourage those who do not realize they are participating in God's restorative work: by inviting the children into worship, and by telling the long peculiar story of God's people and inviting children into that story. In turn, the children inherently are teaching the teachers how to become like children and enter the kingdom of heaven in a mysterious unsystematic way.

We are moving to a new curriculum that will serve the teachers just as much as it serves our children. It creates a sacred worship space for the children and walks through the biblical narrative each year. Through telling the biblical story in creative ways and using simple manipulative objects both teacher and children come to a better understanding of who God is and how he has acted in history and continues to act in our lives today.

I invite you to join our ministry team this next year to love your neighbor, welcome the little children, and see what God has hidden from the wise and the intelligent.

If you would like to learn more serving in Children's Ministry email me at david@citychurchsf.org

In the Good Samaritan story in Luke 10 before the Lawyer stands up, before he asks the neighbor question we witness Jesus rejoicing in the Holy Spirit, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will." v.21

The neighbor question is an important and urgent question. It is as important today as it was for the lawyer. It is an ancient question that began when Moses brought the law down from the mountain. Leviticus and Deuteronomy wrestle with the idea of love of God and love of neighbor and expound the law into daily practice and social interaction.

We come to some resolve in Deuteronomy where love of God becomes evident in love of neighbor, but Israel is left with the question "Who is my neighbor?" At their best Israel knew how to answer this question. At their worst Israel became insular in its nationalistic zeal, keeping their wealth and knowledge and the promises of God for themselves, forgetting the full promise that through the work of Israel God would bless the world.

Jesus answers the lawyers question and exposes the failings of Israel in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and Levite, the keepers of the law; pass over to the other side to avoid their neighbor. The outcast Samaritan stranger stops to help. Jesus paints an obvious picture of who the man's neighbor is and how he should love his neighbor, but he allows the man to answer his own question, "The one who showed him mercy."

I would like to end this thought by putting it side by side with Mark 9:37 "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." Each week it is our duty to welcome the children, we are invited into this great promise, simply by welcoming the children, we are welcoming God.