A long season calls for some exercise. So, let’s take a walk with Jesus this October. As you might suspect, walking with Jesus is not only good for the body, but is also good for the mind, as Jesus often asks us to stretch our thinking into new possibilities and new understandings. Our walk with Jesus is also good for our senses, as we are invited to see what we had overlooked before, to hear the cries from those often kept silent, and to feel a connection with those in our community whether they are already a part of our church or not. We’re exercising our faith as we walk, faith that allows us to see the Spirit at work in us and around us all the time. So, join us this fall. Walking with Jesus, let’s just admit, is a good exercise all around.

We celebrate The Children’s Defense Fund’s Children’s Sabbaths this month. During the weekend of October 19-20, plan to celebrate the Children’s Sabbath during the worship service. Focus on this year’s theme, “And a Little Child Shall Lead Them.” As we worship each week, we will learn through scriptures and stories that reinforce the gifts of love, justice, wellness, healing, and joy.

Your participation in the multifaith National Observance of Children’s Sabbaths weekend means that you are joining a chorus of diverse voices engaged in intercessory work on behalf of children across nationalities, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities, income levels, familial status, and race. You are joining in a commitment to unmute the voices of children –those who are in what may be considered traditional and non-traditional families, whether fostered, adopted, or orphaned – who have been marginalized; to work toward their liberation and transformation; to ensure that their real-lived experiences are anchored in health, wholeness, wellness, and access to a quality of life that helps them to thrive as God intends. (2024 Children’s Sabbath Manual, page 3, https://www.childrensdefense.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Welcome-to-the-Childrens-Sabbath.Children-are-a-gift.pdf).

This theme, “A little child shall lead them,” brings us closer to the Advent season and Christmas and to God’s chosen one, Jesus, who came to the world as a baby to save us all.

We are led by the children and center their voices, that we as adults, might discover our own inner child so that we can experience love, justice, and healing, all while still augmenting children’s futures. Imagine this experience through the lens of the tenderness of what it means to lean fully into uncomplicated joy. (2024 Children’s Sabbath Manual, page 4, https://www.childrensdefense.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Welcome-to-the-Childrens-Sabbath.Children-are-a-gift.pdf).

The Children’s Sabbaths’ inspiration for 2024 is “Unleashing Joy.” This year’s grounding passage is found in Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)[1], “For I know the plans that I have for you declares the Lord; plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a future with hope.” What better gift than joy as part of God’s hope-filled future?

Click here to learn more and to get for Children’s Sabbaths.

Children's Message

Mark 10:13-16, New International Reader's Version

Little Children Are Brought to Jesus

¹³People were bringing little children to Jesus. They wanted him to place his hands on them to bless them. But the disciples told them to stop. ¹⁴When Jesus saw this, he was angry. He said to his disciples, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t keep them away. God’s kingdom belongs to people like them. ¹⁵What I’m about to tell you is true. Anyone who will not receive God’s kingdom like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶Then he took the children in his arms. He placed his hands on them to bless them.

Children’s Sabbaths Theme:

Joy

Message:

Let’s take a walk with Jesus. For the next few weeks, we will learn from Jesus as we walk with him. As you might suspect, walking with Jesus is not only good for the body but also good for the mind. Jesus asks us to stretch our thinking. Our walk with Jesus is good for our senses; we are invited to see what we may have never seen before; we will hear the cries of those often kept silent, and we will feel a connection with those in our community who need God’s help. When we walk, we exercise our faith. Walking with Jesus is great exercise in every aspect of life.

Did you know that YOU are a gift from God? Children are a gift and reward from God. A psalm in our Old Testament is a joyous song about children. Children are a gift that brings the world love, justice, wellness, healing, and joy. What a blessing!

Our story is found in Mark’s Gospel, chapter 10, and it is a story we should all remember.

I am reading from the New International Readers Version Superheroes Bible. (Read directly from the Bible. If you don’t have access to The Superheroes Bible, place these words in your Bible).

Jesus threw his head back and laughed with the children. Some were just sitting near him. But others raced around him in front and behind him. Others couldn’t get close enough to him. One hung on his leg. Another swung from his arm. What fun children were!

More and more children came to Jesus. Their parents were eager for Jesus to bless their children. The children took turns sitting on his lap. They took turns giving him hugs. He smiled at them and talked and laughed with them…until he heard grumbling in the background. And until he noticed that the children were being pulled away, Jesus’ disciples were telling the parents to take their children and go home.

“Jesus doesn’t have time for this!” they said. “He has more important things to do!”

The smile left Jesus’ face as he turned to the disciples and said, “Don’t you dare sent these little children away! They are important to me. You should know that! Everyone should be like these little children. See how loving they are? See how they trust me? You should be just like them!”

One by one, parents turned around and walked back toward Jesus. As soon as the children saw Jesus, they left their parents and ran toward him again. So many came to him at once that he just sat down in the grass and let them climb all over him. Reaching out his hand, he pulled a shy little girl onto his lap. He smiled at her. He looked over her head and smiled at her parents. He turned and smiled at all the children and their parents.

Every person is important. Jesus took the time to pay attention to the children. Jesus knew that just because they were little didn’t mean they were not important. Just because someone is small, weak, or poor doesn’t mean that they aren’t important. You can treat others with love and kindness, just like Jesus did.

The New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV) Super Heroes Bible, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 2001, p. 1153.

Have you ever been to a playground? On a playground, you can run, climb, swing, and, of course, laugh. That’s what I believe the children were doing when they visited Jesus. In the passage I read, one child hung from Jesus’ leg, and another swung from his arm. The kids were laughing and having so much fun.

When people brought children to Jesus so that he could bless them, the disciples tried to stop them. They thought Jesus was too busy and important to spend time with children. But Jesus ordered the disciples to let the children come. Jesus said that people must become like children to enter God’s kingdom. Why do you think Jesus said to be more like children? (Allow children to respond.) Those are all excellent answers. Jesus meant that people ought to know how much they need God, in the same way that young children know they need their mom or dad. Jesus meant that people ought to see how they can love one another and trust in God to help. Jesus meant that people should rely on God to heal and comfort them when hurt or sick. Jesus meant that people should live with smiles that come from the joy found in life with God. When we know these things, blessings will come.

What better gift than joy as part of God’s hope-filled plan for our future? Jesus wants us to grow up but remain childlike. That may sound a little strange, but it makes perfect sense if you think about it. When we stay childlike, we are walking with Jesus. We are walking in joy.