We will be having a different style of worship service in church this week as we welcome Melissa Neumann from the Synod Intergenerational Team who will be leading our intergenerational service today. Given the activity that has been going on over the last few weeks, it promises to be a very different sort of service and one I am very much looking forward to as we discern together, as a congregation, what worship services might look like for us in the future. I know you will make Melissa feel welcome today.
In our own lives, we get to be a part of many family activities. Whether it is a big celebration like Christmas or Easter, or a birthday or a smaller get together like a barbecue, we love to gather as a family with all the ages together. It brings us joy to see kids running around and older members trying to keep up with the game or understand how to play it. We smile when we see older members taking an interest in the education or career stage of younger members. We seek out those we have not seen for ages to ask how they are getting on. We love to catch up with our families, regardless of what age they are, and we take an active interest in them and their lives. We would never think of excluding some from the gathering because they are too old or too young!
As Christians, we also belong to another family, God’s family. The church is made up of all ages and generations. Whether you are 8 (or under) or 80 (or over), you are a loved and valued member of the congregation and you have a gift or grace that the church needs in our mission to be Jesus to those around us. Jesus didn’t exclude anyone on the grounds of their age, rather the opposite as it happens. Jesus welcomed the young, the old, and those in the middle. It’s this sort of attitude that I think we need to be fostering in our churches. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had a church service where anyone of any age felt a sense of belonging and value? Wouldn’t it be great if all ages felt welcome just like they did with Jesus? For me, it’s not “just about the kids” but about having a safe place where everyone, yes everyone, can feel at home. Now, how do I get this play doh out from under my fingernails?