devotions and reflections

A couple of months ago I got asked to teach the kindergarten Sabbath School in the church. But before I actually taught the children, I went to observed first. I was so much surprised when the teacher took out a mirror and started singing, Who has come to Sabbath School. Then she went around so each kid could look in the mirror as their names were mentioned in the song. I was transported back down the memory lane some 30 years ago. How I hated it when I got asked to look at my face in the mirror. I couldn’t stop grinning and I thought my face was the funniest of all and the ugliest to look at. I was very, very shy and actually nervous to go in the middle of the circle where the mirror was and tried ever possible way to avert looking at my image.

But I think the Children’s Sabbath School was the best part of the church because we get to do some fun stuff that were Biblically related. The hour of worship was a boring one and I used to feel that it was the time to sit still for what seemed to be ages. For a child, a sermon is absolutely meaningless.

Now when I sit in church listening to the sermon I can’t help but pity the children who sat beside their parents understanding absolutely nothing about what the preacher is talking about. I know in some churches they have a separate hour of worship for kids. But most churches can’t afford to have that because they lack human resources to look after the children during the hour of worship.

I think our church is a little bit insensitive to the children’s spiritual need and training. We focus so much on evangelism and spreading the gospel outside the church but we fail to look after the ones inside the church, the most vulnerable ones, the children.

If they have their own Sabbath School why can’t they have their own hour of worship?