Thirty Seconds or Less

We have to decide. Are children pre-humans or pre-worshippers who must grow and change and mature before they can be included? Or are children wholly human and wholly worshippers now? If we embrace the full humanity and full spirituality of children, then we must discover new and better ways to include them in our worship... The post We Have To Decide appeared first on Thirty Seconds or Less.

How did “quiet and still” become our highest priority for children during a worship service? How did “quiet and still” become our highest priority for adults? This world is a vibrant mix of turmoil, joy, suffering, and fascination. Maybe we need to spend some time shouting or jumping up and down or playing games or... The post This Is Boring appeared first on Thirty Seconds or Less.

How do we include children? Do we use them to carry candles or make cute comments during a children’s message? Sing solos at Christmas time? Well, those ideas are okay, but kids aren’t just props for our worship environment. How do we include children in ways that allow them to express their worship authentically? Some... The post Running & Jumping appeared first on Thirty Seconds or Less.

What do children have to offer to our public worship spaces? Children bring kinesthetic energy, yet we ask them to be silent and sit still. Children express wonder loudly, yet we do not allow them to express exuberance in worship. Children ask great questions that cause us all to reflect and change, yet we require... The post Like A Child appeared first on Thirty Seconds or Less.

In the gospel of Matthew, the disciples ask Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus answers, “Unless children learn to sit quietly during church, they will never enter the kingdom.” No, that’s not what Jesus said. He said, “Unless you become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”... The post The Greatest appeared first on Thirty Seconds or Less.

A man said to me If children cannot be quiet and still they need to leave the sanctuary. Children are a distraction and they make it hard for people to hear the sermon. This service is meant for adults. Why is it OK to say this about children? Would we say: “This service is meant... The post Why Is It OK? appeared first on Thirty Seconds or Less.

After returning from a battle in which early Muslims defended themselves against oppressive forces, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, told his followers, “You have returned from the lesser jihad to fight the greater jihad, that is, the striving of a servant against his desires.” How much more peaceful would the world be if... The post The Greater Jihad appeared first on Thirty Seconds or Less.

One of the most important I’ve learned when conducting an interfaith discussion or conversation is that it takes time. To expect people to come together and share their deepest thoughts about their fundamental values is not fair. And so part of interfaith is taking time to build a community and that way you can build... The post Build A Bridge appeared first on Thirty Seconds or Less.

I asked a Muslim sheikh about the phenomenon of Islamophobia in our country and he said, “What you would all be wise to do is start hearing from us rather than about us.” He’s inviting us to actually see the human face behind our stigma and stereotype and so as interfaith peacemakers we have to... The post The Very Best Of It appeared first on Thirty Seconds or Less.

Our world and our religions, especially Western Christianity, are in dire need of these words in times like these where we so easily lump all Muslims into radical extremist categories. We judge a massive population of faithful, compassionate people by the actions of a small pocket of crazed fundamentalists. The ways that we interact with... The post Great Promise appeared first on Thirty Seconds or Less.