Jesus demonstrated a strange, welcoming & accepting view of children. Completely in contrast to his culture. In one instance he chastises his disciples for their "shooing" the children away. He must have knocked their socks off when he said, "guys, unless you become like one of these little ones, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God".

Huh...?

Usually I summarize Jesus' position on this as his encouraging his followers to adopt child-like attitudes or values. Such as, "hay, I should think simply about things like a kid would" or " yo, I want to trust God like my children trust me so unequivocally...." or, "Hum, why don't I try to be more unhindered in my expression of love to God....?"

But the last few days I have something else mulling around in me. There has to be more to it. Inviting children into the "inner" circle, Jesus has invited a whole lot of distraction and upset if you ask me!

Sorry people, my tendencies are structure, good manners, quiet and fabulously obedient children. At all times.
Its the truth. I'm out.
It has become apparent to me that my ideals and glossy thoughts on children teaching me values of God clashes with my inner desire for an easy-encounter-with-God type churchy environment. Not to mention the clash when children do not demonstrate the above said tendencies of the author.

Can I get an amen? Or am I hanging my laundry out to dry and its only my undies?

There has to be more to it.

So I think I got a key. Children to me are what makes life and faith more real. More authentic. If there is such a possibility of something being "more authentic". Earthy. Children make my life louder and messier. Everything is in the here and now, there is no prolonged ponderings of God. Faith, has become practical, unsophisticated, rough...almost...human.
Earthy.

The earthy thing we experience at my house and call simplechurch is just what Jesus was thinking of when he included children in the inner circle. A little bit louder, a little bit dirty, a little bit...
less about my intense experience of worship or learning or self-preoccupation that I called relationship with Him.

If I push away, to the sidelines the people Jesus went out of his way to include, I will be missing the earthiness of authentic faith that I was born to live. Not perfect, not always quiet, but the messy, mundane moments of real life. This is where Kingdom values are, Jesus values are. Right in the mess of things. The mucking around of people...

Imagine a kiddy pool. Pretty shallow. And certainly not what you'd call wide. This is about the extent of my thought life these days, my prayer life these days...I'm sitting in the kiddy pool folks. And strangely it feels right. Like the place where life and faith should be lived.