Aisle of Joy
The message appears at the bottom of the big screen. The first 30 minutes of Sunday morning worship are over, and the children are dismissed to the “Kids’ Church.” The older ones have kind of been watching for the message and start making their way down the aisle. The younger ones pick up on this exodus and, with great enthusiasm, begin to run down the aisle. Many of them have been up front worshiping in youthful dance. Others make their way from within the congregation, where they have been with their adult guardians. All these young believers have a look of determined excitement. They are in the happy anticipation of the next thing that will happen in their life, Kid’s Church.
The adult volunteers are a bit slower to recognize the moment, but soon, they too join the joyful march following the lead of their students. Down the aisle and out the door they go.
The rest of us continue to worship the King. At the same time, my heart experiences a joy that is particular to this most welcome interruption. It happens every week at this same time. It seems to me that the swelling of joy is the same way for everyone in the room. Few can help but experience the contagious hope for a fabulous future that is all over the faces of those children as they rush with excitement towards the place where they will hear the truth of the Bible taught. Taught in a way that will resonate with their souls and satisfy their hunger to know God.
This is how we do it on Sundays at The Clearing. Our children are with us for the first 30 minutes of worship time. They experience a room full of adults worshiping God. The music, the singing, the raising of hands. Demonstrative worship. Yes, we worship the King, but it is also all of us teaching the next generation that this is normal, even essential behavior. They will learn from us and will be worshipers all of their lives. God is certainly pleased. So are we.
This is what hope feels like. This is the joy Jesus was talking about.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:9-11 NIV)
Our worship is essential in taking ownership of our love of the Lord, our God. This is a commandment.
