Who Belongs?

FROM THE RECTOR

When I was a child, I enjoyed going to school. Much of that is an accident of birth—the approach to learning used in my schools came naturally to me—but that joy also came as a gift from those who welcomed me in the classroom. I knew that school was for me. I knew that school was where I belonged. My parents and teachers helped me know that I did not go to school simply because I was supposed to or because it was a convenient way for my parents to occupy me for several hours each weekday. I went to school because everything about school was designed for me.

As a child, I also enjoyed going to church for much the same reason. I grew up going to the early service and do not remember many other children in church. That did not matter, though, because no one ever told me that a child’s experience in church should be different from that of anyone else. Our family always sat near the front, and I had an unobstructed view of the service. My parents held the bulletin and hymnal where I could see them and always assumed that I would participate fully. In church I learned by heart the Lord’s Prayer, the Confession, and the Prayer of Humble Access. Almost like a game, I tried each week to see if I could remember all of the words.

I did not always enjoy the sermon, but neither did the other adults in church. Sometimes my mind wandered, but so did theirs. I am sure that my parents could tell you that some weeks I was pretty restless and that I often complained about being hungry, but they also invited me to imagine being an acolyte or singing in the choir one day. They helped me know that I would have a place in church my whole life. Back then, if you had asked me whether I loved going to church, I may not have said yes, but I always knew that church was for me—that church is where I belonged. I went to church not because I was supposed to go or because my parents wanted me to go but because everything about church was designed for me.

For whom do you think our church services are most perfectly designed? Who do you imagine enjoys being in church the most? I certainly love coming to church, but the service is not designed for the clergy. The acolytes and vergers and choir get a lot out of worship because they put a lot into it, but they are not the focus of the service. Of course, at a basic level, worship is not directed at us but at God—the one to whom we give honor, glory, and praise—but how we worship God and who we hope to include when we worship God matters.

Our worship service is not designed specifically for children, but it doesn’t have to be. We use color and music and movement. No single part of our service lasts more than fifteen minutes. The windows in church are stunning. The stories from the Bible are provocative. We say the same, memorable prayers each week. Everyone is invited to participate fully and receive Communion regardless of their age. Some children’s minds will wander, but so will those of their parents and grandparents, and, at some point, mental wandering becomes faithful wondering—a spiritually fruitful exercise.

Recently, I have been thankful to see some joyful, delighted children in church. They race down the sidewalk toward the door and greet me enthusiastically as they come in. Like the rest of us, families are starting to venture out more fully, and coming back to church is a priority. Several of those families are new to St. Paul’s, and I want more than anything else for them to find that our church is a place where they belong—no matter what age they are.

In the fall, we plan to resume in-person Children’s Chapel, but we do not need to wait for that in order to make children feel welcome. Children’s Church provides a sermon and songs that are more accessible for a younger audience, but that does not mean that what happens in the main service is only for adults. What we do in church is for all of us. When we gather, everyone is welcome. If nothing else, you can help children (and their parents) know that they belong in church by remembering that everything in the service is designed as much for them as for the rest of us. Why else would a young child call out, “Hooray!” at the end of a joyful hymn?

Yours Faithfully,

Evan