Sermon Archive
Childspirit Rising!
© by the Reverend Dr. Byron E. Shafer
(Rutgers Church, June 11, 2000, The Day of Pentecost, Year B;
 Baptism, Reception of New Members, Holy Communion)
Acts 2:1–21 (NT, p. 123);  John 16:12–14 (NT, p. 114)

  Exactly twenty years ago, in 1980, I encountered a feminist reader in religion entitled 
Womanspirit Rising.  The articles in that book had a life-transforming effect on me—
making me conscious  of the need to reform and reconstruct society-in-general 
and religion-in-particular if humankind is ever to recognize and foster the full human 
dignity of women.

Now, on this Day of Pentecost twenty years later, in the year 2000, I invite you to join with me 
and Presbyterians throughout our nation in launching what our denomination has designated 
“the Year of the Child.”  I personally would like to think of this twelve-month period as “the 
Year of Childspirit Rising,” as a time for all of us to be led by the Holy Spirit, by the Spirit of 
Truth of  which John 16 speaks— to be led by the Spirit into a life-transforming recognition 
of the need to reform and reconstruct society and religion if humankind is going to recognize 
and foster the full human dignity of children.

We here at Rutgers Church are entitled to a measure of pride today, for one of our own 
members and elders—Elinor Bowles—has been a principal architect for our denomination’s 
Year of the Child.  Elinor has served with distinction as a member of the national committee—
called P-CAN, the Presbyterian Child Advocacy Network—the group that has given birth to 
this Year of the Child.

And it’s Elinor who’s also given me this stole that I’m wearing, a stole that will help to keep
 before us the meaning of this special year.  The logo that’s emblazoned on it can be seen 
close up by turning to the image on the inside back cover of your order of service. 

This logo was created by artist Patricia Lynn Miller, and it features a Star-design that’s
 composed of two parts—first, the Star of the Nativity, to remind us that God came to us as 
a child, and second, the figure of a dancing child balanced on one foot to remind us that Jesus 
blessed and brought gladness to the children, as we affirmed this morning   in our Profession 
of Faith during the baptism.  Do you see the dancing-child figure?  You’ll note that the head of 
the child is serving as the 8th point of the Star. 

Now, this dancing child is poised atop and supported by a pedestal that symbolizes the Church. 
The pedestal, you see, bears both the logo of our denomination and the words:  “Children: God’s 
Gift to the World, Christ’s Call to the Church.”  How apropos this logo is of this morning’s 
First Lesson, describing the original Day of Pentecost.  For it strikes me that this dancing 
child can also be seen as a representation of the line from Acts 2 (vs. 17) that quotes God as 
saying:  “…I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy”—which I take to be an image of Childspirit Rising!

We desperately need to have Childspirit Rising in this world of ours—a world in which many 
nations conscript child soldiers (did you see the recent CNN special on Sierra Leone?);  and 
a world in which tens of thousands of children under the age of 5 die each day, especially in 
the Congo;  a world in which international corporations like Nike turn a blind eye to the 
children enslaved in their sweat shops;  and a world in which our own national policies, in this 
the richest nation of the world, tolerate 20% of our children living in poverty and receiving
 next to no health care.

Today, we have an opportunity to let the Childspirit begin to rise within us, to let the Holy Spirit 
move us to an act of generous compassion.  For we have an opportunity to contribute a large check—please get out your check book now!—and if you don't have a check, to contribute 
your largest bill, or several of them—please get out your wallet now!—an opportunity to put 
these gifts into our special Pentecost Offering envelopes, which you'll find in your order of 
service.  The purpose of this offering is to bring a greater abundance of life to children at risk
 and to youth in need.

Welcome to the beginning of the Year of the Child, and to this first event in the Year of 
Childspirit Rising!  Today, won’t you please answer the call to be the Church and to help create 
dancing children!

Let us pray:

O God, pour out Your Holy Spirit upon us, that as a congregation we may be moved to an extra
 measure of generosity, that we may help to create dancing children and youth throughout
 our world.  This we pray in the name of the Christ Child and of the Childspirit Rising among 
us on this Day of Pentecost.  Amen.

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