Et Incarnatus Est

I continue to maintain that children are the best theologians in the church. Case in point:

Last week, being (liturgically) the Baptism of our Lord, my children's sermon was about baptism. The kids and I talked about what happened at Jesus' baptism, and what happened at their baptism, how God named them and claimed them, and how anytime they want to remember they are a child of God and God loves them, they can find some water, make the sign of the cross on their forehead and tell themselves "(Name), child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever." Then we went to the font to try it out.

Today, as 2 year old Jindrah was coming forward for the children's sermon, he stopped right at the font (which is in the aisle, in the midst of the congregation). His older brother grabbed his hand and tried to pull him forward, but he stood right there and started to reach up for the bowl. He wasn't quite tall enough to reach on his own, but an adult sitting nearby realized what he was trying to do, and picked him up so he could stick his hand in the water. When they set him back down, he smiled at me and made the sign of the cross on his forehead, then came forward to join the rest of the kids. I smiled and nodded as he was walking toward us and said "That's exactly right, Jindrah, child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever."

My children's sermon (and adult sermon, for that matter) today was about call, and with the kids I talked about the story of Samuel, and how God calls even young people like them to be servants of God's kingdom. Later in the service, when it was time for communion, Jindrah came running up the aisle, completely excited to help out (we use a common pouring chalice with individual little glasses, and the younger kids hold the trays from which folks take their clean glass and return their used glass). Today was his first time helping, and he just couldn't contain his joy at being a part of it all - he was the theology of my sermon incarnate, I kept thinking to myself, "Would that we all respond to God's call in such a way!"

Plus, he was adorable as all get out - the tray was a little too heavy for him (especially as it was filling with glasses), so his dad came up and helped him to hold it, which he didn't mind at all, he was happy to share the experience.

What's even cooler is that I'm not the only one who noticed all this. As I was greeting people after the service, one of the adults who came through the line (who is normally my biggest fan) said "Pastor, your sermon was excellent as usual, but that little boy is the one who really brought the gospel to me today." I smiled and nodded, because I couldn't agree more.