A Church for the Little Ones

Perhaps it’s the little ones where we should give our focus. What would a church for the ‘little ones’ look like?

There is a church that I drive past most weeks, and as I do, my heart sinks.

Years ago, I went into this church building several times and worshipped within this very large community.

I remember the first time I went there and wondered what on earth I had stepped into?

I think it was the control and ‘power-over’ that I felt.

Men are to do this. Women are to do that.

People must be dressed in a certain way.

The music had to be perfect.

Suits and ties for men. Women always wore hats.

Shoes were to be polished shoes and nothing was to be out of place.

But there was no spontaneity and no life.

Young men and young women could not date unless the elders of the church gave approval.

I call this spiritual abuse. It was more like a cult than a church.

I learned from a Christian counsellor years later that some counsellors have made a full-time living out of those that left this church.

I drive past and pray for the little ones.

The little ones who are getting spiritually abused. Little ones who are being brainwashed. The little ones who have been caught up in the enmeshment of a cult.

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The Little Ones

Who are the little ones?

A Jesus story.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’

He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Woe to the world because of stumbling-blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling-block comes! Matthew 18:1-7

Jesus uses the presence of children to draw the listener to a flipping of focus.

His disciples wanted to know who is the greatest. Perhaps some of them thought they might be? Perhaps some ego’s that needed reining in.

Maybe the disciples thought if they knew who was the greatest, then they could aspire to become like them. Kingdom life is all about self-advancement, isnt it?

Jesus says the greatest are the ‘mikros’. This is the greek word for Micro.

Mikros: Small, little, least, insignificant. Small in size, quantity, number or (figuratively) dignity. BibleHub

When I hear the word micro, my thoughts quickly go to a microscope. Something used to examine something not visible to the human eye. We zoom in to examine the microscopically small.

The little ones, the seemingly insignificant to the whole, are to Jesus the ones we must be sure to not put anything in front of them in their desire to come to know him.

Who are the little ones?

It’s very easy to focus on the children. That’s obvious.

Yes, children are small, little and have a beautiful openness to learning and freedom.

But there are others.

Other ages we need to consider

Intellectual age. I have had the joy of being in a Christian community with those who have an intellectual disability. They may have the physical age of a 30-year-old, but due to the intellectual disability they act more like teenagers or even younger. Are these the ‘little ones’?
Discipleship age. A person comes to know Jesus maybe even as an fully mature adult, but they are still young in the faith. They are open to all sorts of influences. Some good, some not so good. Are these ‘little ones’?
Personality age. In ministering to people with Dissociative Personality Disorder, formerly known as multiple personality Disorder I would sometimes find personalities of very little children. ‘Little ones’ that needed childlike care. Are these ‘little ones’?
Interruption age. I like the title of this movie ‘Girl Interupted‘. I remember a man who had a psychotic event in his teens, and it interrupted his life, education, and social development. He was still a teenager when his life was ‘Interrupted’ and in many respects he remained one even though he was much older. Are people like these ‘little ones’?
My inner child. Carl Jung theorizes that we have a small inner child. This can be defined as ‘ “all the past hidden ages” within a person’s life journey, consisting of memories and emotional layers from each stage of development that influence the formation of identity.’ Wikipedia Is your inner child a ‘little one’?

A church for the little ones

Perhaps the greatest gift we can give to the little ones is the gift of a church community where littleness is enjoyed, embraced, and empowered.

I wonder what would happen if the little ones led the church meeting?

Maybe with a little empowered mentoring running alongside, what would it be like to have a person who struggles with hearing psychotic voices give the sermon?

Could someone who couldn’t hold a note lead the singing?

Then someone shares a story from the week where a prayer had been answered?

Could a sex addict sit next to an older woman studying theology and both know they are loved and forgiven?

Could all our ‘little ones’ integrate and become one?

This can happen, and I have seen happen.

Whether this will happen again is up to you.

It happens when you invite the ‘mikros’ little ones for dinner and you empower them with love.

Jesus said this

‘And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least [mikros] of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”’ Matthew 25:40

I pray for the little ones

I pray for the little ones
Children young and old
I pray for the vulnerable
The poison they will be told

How will their minds be moulded?
The stories they will begin to hold
What heart conclusions will they reach
Held on to even when old

I pray for saving bright sparks
To float from other fires
To illuminate the poisoned landscape
In which they have retired

Wake from poisoned sleep
Toxins leave the soul
Wake up to beauty and grace
The kiss of Christ to make you whole

I pray for more playgrounds
Sandcastles to be built
No more Church mausoleums
Children dance a joy-filled lilt

Pray that rules will not restrict
The dance that is going on
When you hear the Aslan call
Drop the weights and dance along

I pray for the child in me
To listen for Spirits dance
That I might leave the old stiff ways
Feel the wind unfurl the sail

Quotes to consider

There are no little people in God’s sight, so there are no little places. To be wholly committed to God in the place where God wants him [or her]—this is the creature glorified … This is the way of the Christian: he [or she] should choose the lesser place until God extrudes him [or her] into a position of more responsibility and authority. Francis Schaeffer No Little People
People with handicaps teach me that being is more important than doing, the heart is more important than the mind, and caring together is better than caring alone. Henri J.M. Nouwen
Only those willing to stand close enough to listen will ever hear those closest to the problem. Jim Wallis
To say “I am going to church” both reveals and promotes bad theology. Marva J. Dawn
The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose. It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any other purpose. C.S. Lewis

Questions to answer

I’ve given some examples of ‘little ones’. Do you know any of them?
Do you know of some churches that are more cult like than church like?
Who are ‘mikros’ of you community?

Formation exercise

Observe this week in your Church worship service how the ‘mikros’ little ones are being involved. If they are being excluded, then how and why is this happening? Send me an email. Use the contact form below