September 30 2018 Perfect Love: The Children Are In His Arms

September 30^th 2018 *Mark 9. 30-37 Perfect Love: The Children Are In His Arms Pastor Jacqueline Hines

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What an image the gospel of Mark leaves us with: Jesus the son of God taking a child up in his arms. [ slide # 1 child on Jesus’ shoulder] When I was in Israel, I saw many men holding their children like Jesus must have, affirming them, nurturing them in a motherly kind of way.

Every child should be held in arms. Every child should be close to our hearts. Every child should be nurtured and welcomed and received. Every child. [slide # 2 child being hugged by Jesus]

Every child breathes the breath of God. Every child is a precious creation, beautiful inside and out, every child!

Many years ago, a woman insulted me, rejected me, and humiliated me in a way that I was not expecting. Her behavior was a surprise. She was going through tough times and perhaps I was an easier target than those she could not control and wanted to lash out at. Nevertheless, I know I needed to forgive her, even if I did not understand her.

For years, I prayed and asked God to bless her, help me to forgive her, and as part of my prayer, I envisioned her in the arms of Jesus, beloved, cherished, accepted and blessed. [slide # 3 Jesus holding the face of a little girl] Then one year I realized that the memories of the hurt had faded away.

The image of others in the arms of Jesus is a good image for us to carry in our hearts for every child of God. For God holds each one of us close to God’s heart. Each one of us is beloved, cherished, accepted. God looks at us tenderly with eyes filled with love, respect and appreciation for who God has made us to be. God speaks to us softly with words that reflect that we are beloved, cherished, accepted.

When we are broken in mind, body, or spirit God especially holds us, constantly creating and restoring us, healing us and helping us. Jesus picks us up when we are down and the Holy Spirit stirs within us, making something good happen, in spite of it all. When we are wayward or rebellious, God’s posture toward us is still the same. God is closer to us than our next breath because we are beloved, cherished accepted.

When I was a teenager, I worked in a gas station from 11 p.m. to 7 p.m. In the wee hours of the night, there were only a few people who stopped for gas. It was a perfect time to pray and meditate. Once as the sun was rising, and the streets were still, I felt the loving presence of God. I heard in my heart, a still small voice, “You are mine, all mine.” I did not realize it until I began to read and study the bible, but those words come from the prophet Isaiah chapter 43 that says, “…listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.”

I felt God’s spirit like a loving and gentle presence enfolding me, but for whatever reason, I did not want to be enfolded in the arms of God. I remember thinking, “No...” and I kept working as if God did not matter, as if I did not want or need God’s love. I rejected God in my heart, I was not interested in hearing about God’s love until perhaps a couple years later as I continued to pay attention to God’s lovingkindness.

Even when we are not paying any attention to God, God is still paying attention to us. As scripture says, we are the apple of God’s eye. [slide # 4  I am the apple of God’s eye]  [slide # 5 God loves you and sees you]

A family therapist reminded me recently that the most important thing we can do for our children is to “see them,” to acknowledge that they are here and that they are precious, to pay them positive attention. [slide # 6 Jesus with children and dove in hand]

So it is for all of us to pay attention to every child that God has created, no matter what their age and stage. We see them in our prayers and meditations, we see them as we serve with them, and we see them as we worship alongside them. Every child of God is also ours, all ours. [slide # 7 long line of children following Jesus]   And we are all special. Amen. [slide # 8 cool kid]