Seeing God by Nikki Watkin

On Ascension day a couple of weeks ago, our 4 year old son Reuben was creating art – a fairly common event in our household. He proudly showed it to me and I asked him about it.

There were a whole lot of houses in a cross shape in the centre –“that is the city” he said. (I still need to ponder that image.) Above the city was a big yellow smiley face –“that is God,” he told me. On both sides of the city were some people –“Who are they?” I asked. “Those people are frightened” he told me. So of course I asked why they were frightened, and he explained “because they can’t see God”. For him, that was reason enough to be scared. And it got me thinking.

Thinking about the angels who challenged the disciples who had been left standing there on the Mount of Olives after Jesus had ascended to the right hand of God. Check out the first chapter in Acts. The angels ask “Why do you stand here looking into the sky?”

Maybe the disciples were still standing there so they would not be frightened. They could no longer see Jesus. Which begs the question, when do we see Jesus? When do we see God? And another thought: When do children see Jesus? Do they see Jesus in our welcome? In our loving? In our blessing?

What a gift we give to those around us – whatever their age - when they encounter Jesus in us. If Reuben has got it right and in seeing God, fear is taken away, then it’s definitely worth thinking about.



Rev Nikki Watkin is part of our Kids Friendly team in Auckland. She is also a minister with her husband Richard at Kohimarama Presbyterian.

Worship: A way of life by Lucy Davey

We are called to a life of worship.  We don’t need to worship God in a particular place or at a particular time. Worship is something that can happen every day in lots of ways, if we let it.

I was recently moved by a story of Gaby and Isaac, four year olds whose worship in a sick-room brought comfort and peace.

Ingrid de Villiers, a teacher at St Heliers Presbyterian’s preschool Small Miracles shared this story:

“Gaby and Isaac attended Small Miracles since they were very young. Music plays a big part in our preschool and much of our Christian teaching is shared through music. Once a year we have a special Small Miracles celebration church service and this is often the only time many families attend church. This has been the case with Gaby and Isaac’s family. However, recently their granddad passed away and their dad told us this beautiful story about when their granddad was ill.

The children were taken to Wellington to visit their granddad in hospital where he was drifting in and out of consciousness. They sat on either side of the bed each holding their granddad’s hands. Dad noticed them whispering to each other and then they started to sing some of the songs that they had learnt at Small Miracles. They sang “Jesus is the Light” and “Walk in the Light” (really loudly according to their father).

Later, when their granddad was having a lucid moment he told their dad how much their singing had meant to him and how special and uplifting it was. Apparently Granddad was a religious man and I think it meant so much to him.

Gaby and Isaac have both left us to go to school but we sense that the Christian values and experience they have received at Small Miracles will be with them forever. Their parents have acknowledged this too.”

As we start thinking of our whole lives as worship to God, it transforms the way we view life and the things we do.  Whatever our age, wherever we are, whatever we do, we can bring glory to God.

At four, Gaby and Isaac seemed to intuitively understand this. Let’s keep learning from the children in our midst.

He called a little child, whom he placed among them. And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.   Matthew 18:2-3

Lucy Davey

(Lucy was a valued member of our Kids Friendly team from 2011 to 2012 until she moved South!  But she is still a wonderful advocate and encourager to Kids Friendly and a real attribute to her church Upper Clutha Presbyterian in Wanaka.  Lucy is also an accomplished children's author http://www.lucydavey.com/).