Always Grace

It has always seemed true that God works in people's lives in different ways and at different ages.  Along the journey of ministry there have been many children too young to understand the meaning of Holy Communion; yet, there they were kneeling alongside Mom and Dad receiving this powerful means of grace.  There have also been some very young children who have come to me wanting to be baptized.  Some would have said for them to wait until they were old enough for confirmation, or at least until a little older.  After talking with them, I did their baptisms.  

Perhaps, this is in part because as a nine year old I knelt down at an altar of a Methodist Church and felt the waters of baptism touching me.  Was I too young to understand?  Have I gotten old enough yet to understand completely that mysterious moment?  While I do not remember being immersed with a lot of theological words back at age nine, I knew that God was stirring in my life and I wanted to do something to acknowledge it.  Maybe my motives were not exactly in line with the position of the church, but in retrospect, I certainly believe it was in line with God wanted me to do in response to my awareness of His presence in my life.  Is it not true that sometimes our public response to what God is doing may not exactly be the kosher response prescribed by the church? 

The church is a Christ centered spiritual community in the world which makes it at its core a dispenser of grace instead of a dispenser of judgment.  Jesus had a way of welcoming children and making room for them in the circle of love He was creating.  He did the same with those whom society told Him to ignore because it was obvious that they were sinners.  When we kneel before the cross, it is never about age, complete understanding, or status in life, but grace.  God's grace.  From beginning to end, life is about grace.