Cartoon of a boy celebrating. The caption says, “When summer break came, Mark couldn’t help but worship.”
In the United states, the kids are itching for summer vacation. I remember how exuberant everyone felt at the end of the school year. It took about three days before the kids were bored and we were looking for something to do. It isn’t until you become adult do you realize quiet, boring times are a real gift. The trick is to live each day as the celebration it is.
Every year, in the spring, I notice it. The kids that used to be so enthusiastic in their singing start to stand or sit in stone silence. Fourth and fifth-grade boys are the hardest. They start to be very aware of others and have no desire to do anything “uncool.”
Sometimes, when I teach, I like to scan the audience while the kids sing during worship. Frequently, I will find kids that are getting into the music. But I also find the one or two faces that clearly do not have their “worship face” on.
I love it when kids are worshipping in large group. When kids are sincere and enthusiastic, it can put the most exuberant grown up worshipper to shame.
But something happens in the pre-teen years. You can always tell when kids start getting self-conscious and are “too cool” to lift their hands, dance and put their heart into worship.
Unfortunately, as we get older, it is more likely we get stuck not worshipping than to get stuck in the act of worshipping.
Cartoon of a girl asking her teacher, “I heard you singing during worship. Why don’t you use Auto-Tune?
A similar incident happened to me once. A girl came up to me after I taught her class. She had helped me in worship. She informed me I made a better teacher than a singer. So I thanked her. What else could I do?
Sometimes in children’s ministry, you have to wear different hats. I used to fret about whether I was a good singer or a teacher. At least now I know I’m a better teacher than a singer. The only question remaining is, how bad of a singer am I?
Don’t answer that. I’ll let the kids critique me instead.
I drew this cartoon for K! Magazine.