More Jesus
“People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’”
Luke 18:15-17
When I was a seminarian doing my church placement, I served at a very small church on the outskirts of Derby in England. Among the parishioners, there were two older men who were brothers. They both had mental difficulties and lived in an assisted living home not far from the church. Every Sunday they would come to worship and then, about 15 minutes into the service, one brother would get up (regardless of whether the sermon had started, or we were in prayer), and announce, “I’m gonna go get the paper!” He would leave the church, walk the short distance to the store, buy a newspaper and promptly return to worship. Everyone knew the routine and was gentle and faithful in their love of these two brothers.
One Sunday the church offered a time of prayer ministry after the sermon. During this time, one of the brothers came forward with his hands out, ready to receive prayer. When I asked what he wanted me to pray for, his answer was simple: “More Jesus.”
More Jesus.
It is so easy to get caught up with our preferences and ideas of worship, our expectations for behavior, and how things “should” be. It is very easy for us who have been in the church a while to tut or roll our eyes at something that doesn’t fit our view of things. I suggest that in such moments we have often lost focus and are not paying attention to the proverbial log in our own eyes.
Worship is about God as revealed in Jesus, asking for more of Him, drawing near, being honest, and hands out, with simple prayers in our hearts.
“Let the little children come to me.”
My prayer is that we are welcoming and warm to those who are different or stand out awkwardly to us —even those who announce their plans to buy a paper in the middle of a serve — and that we have hearts tender and humbled enough to let them teach and remind us that we need the same thing everyone needs: more Jesus.
