I had planned on taking my sermon from the early service and shortening it for the Children’s Christmas program. It wasn’t until the program started that I realized my central image - a rat colony turning on itself - was not going to work. So as the children began to sing, I desperately searched for a new image.
I got lost in thought and missed my cue to come forward. So, the only child not to enter on time in this year’s Christmas program was the senior pastor. However, the time did allow me to find a new direction. As I drifted to the back of the room, it hit me, the Holy Spirit had opened my eyes to see something much deeper.
It is hard not to look on those children in a Christmas program without an overwhelming sense of hope. Parents believe their children can become anything in the world - a pro athlete, an actor, a singer, etc... Most likely, though, their childhood hopes will not match their adult reality. But are childhood hopes really the enduring hope that will sustain us through our adult life? I don’t think so.
What if we lived our adult life with the same level of hope we project onto our young children? What would this kind of life look like? In all my years of ministry I have learned two universal truths. The easiest part of ministry is convincing a child they can do something they never dreamed possible. The hardest aspect is convincing an adult of the same thing.
Adult hope is hard. We’ve tested the world and have the scars to prove it. Adult hope cannot be found in what we dream to become when we grow up. It is what we remain when life has cut us down - a child of God. Isaiah reminds us the shoot that emerges from the stump of Jesse is hope. An enduring hope for all us, regardless of age.
Watching the children twist and turn on stage also got me to thinking. We will enjoy every mistake these kids make on this day. The little girl chewing on her beautiful new dress is adorable. The little boy shouting louder than anyone else makes us smile. When it is all over we’ll smile, laugh and hug our children.
What if we parented our adult children with the same level of grace we extend to our little children in a Christmas program? The mere thought of this idea makes most parents bristle. It reveals a deeper truth about our living a Christian life. We have a romanticized idea of what grace could mean, but little trust that grace could be a workable adult reality.
Isaiah reminds us that God will not judge as the world judges (11:3). God judges with grace and mercy. The older I get the more I discover how much these words are shape my present life. I am learning to parent in grace. It has brought me such peace. This Christmas season, I pray you discover the power of living in hope and grace and the peace it brings.
