I am not so naïve as to believe we do not have young people in our number who pass notes to each other, doodle, draw pictures, and write stories and poems on non-Bible subjects when they were old enough to pay attention. That is a matter of parental guidance and training that deserves attention. Sometimes, what young people write down they forget and leave behind. This morning, as I was putting up the songbooks from our Sunday night fellowship, I found something one of our teens left on the pew.
I feel sure it was a teenager's paper, as it was found on one of the front rows where the teens sit. Parents, I don't know who wrote it, but I am pretty sure it was one of the girls. We do not have any young men with handwriting this good. It was carefully written and copious in detail. It was notes from last Sunday night's sermon. From the looks of it, very little of the sermon was missed. The spelling was as impeccable as the handwriting, though that is not what is important. What is important is something we observe too often and say too little. We have a great many young people who are very "tuned in" to worship. You hear it in the enthusiastic way they join in the singing. You see it in their reverent attitude and their eager participation. You can tell they want to be there. I can see it when I am preaching, as they give me far better attention than I merit. That is also a matter of parental guidance and training which deserves not only our attention, but our profuse praise. Every Bible class and worship service is a training ground. They are becoming now, right in our midst, what they will some day fully be.
Parents, may I encourage you as you engage yourselves in worship to take note of your young people. They are likely either "tuned in" or "tuned out" during worship. They are either "cutting up" or "cutting their teeth" on the Word. Are they passing notes or taking notes? Thank God that a great majority of our youth "get" what a thrill and privilege it is to be in the presence of the Great I Am. They humble and challenge me!
I feel sure it was a teenager's paper, as it was found on one of the front rows where the teens sit. Parents, I don't know who wrote it, but I am pretty sure it was one of the girls. We do not have any young men with handwriting this good. It was carefully written and copious in detail. It was notes from last Sunday night's sermon. From the looks of it, very little of the sermon was missed. The spelling was as impeccable as the handwriting, though that is not what is important. What is important is something we observe too often and say too little. We have a great many young people who are very "tuned in" to worship. You hear it in the enthusiastic way they join in the singing. You see it in their reverent attitude and their eager participation. You can tell they want to be there. I can see it when I am preaching, as they give me far better attention than I merit. That is also a matter of parental guidance and training which deserves not only our attention, but our profuse praise. Every Bible class and worship service is a training ground. They are becoming now, right in our midst, what they will some day fully be.
Parents, may I encourage you as you engage yourselves in worship to take note of your young people. They are likely either "tuned in" or "tuned out" during worship. They are either "cutting up" or "cutting their teeth" on the Word. Are they passing notes or taking notes? Thank God that a great majority of our youth "get" what a thrill and privilege it is to be in the presence of the Great I Am. They humble and challenge me!
Neal Pollard
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